


Between Us; Rings

by Warmal



Category: Lilo & Stitch (2002)
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Multi, Romance, Struggle
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-12
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2018-05-13 10:45:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 100,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5704750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warmal/pseuds/Warmal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lilo and Stitch finally get to relax with no more experiments or threats attacking their 'Ohana! Quickly the two realize they have feelings for each other. They have to keep it a secret in fear of what everyone will think, but what is Jumba's surprise for them upon hearing the news, and what happens when not only the rest of their family, but the world discovers their relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Special Day

Morning, as every morning is, is very loud. At least in the Pelekai house. Breakfast being an absolute uproar as Stitch eats everyone’s food earning him a scolding from Pleakley. Nani yelling about being late for work again, and Jumba was explaining his new “super-evil-genius” invention to the uninterested Pleakley. It was a day just like any other, but to Stitch, today was a very special day.

Lilo just opened the door to go to hula class when she felt a furry hand carefully grab her own. Turning at the touch she found Stitch holding a small black duffel bag in one hand and over his shoulder was a dark blue bag much larger than the other one. Having Lilo’s attention he handed over the small black bag.

“What’s in here, Stitch?” Lilo asked as she began opening the bag. Quickly Stitch stopped her.

“Nagga open till after class.” Stitch began his explanation, using as much English as he could manage. “It’s a surprise.”

“Well alright then, I’ll see you after class?” Lilo asked as she slung the bag over her shoulder. Before receiving an answer she ran out of the house not wanting to be late for hula again.

“Ih! Meega wait for Lilo!” Just as Stitch was about to close the door Nani rushed past him almost knocking him over to get by.

“Sorry, Stitch. I didn’t see you there. I need to hurry or Mr. Jameson is going to kill me.” Nani began as she noticed the little blue experiment following after her.

“Stitch need to tell yuuga something.” The sight of him looking so impatient made her stop.

“What is it? Did you break something again? How many times do I ha-“ Stitch quickly cut her off mid-sentence, not wanting to get in trouble.

“Nagga,” said Stitch as he started shaking his head. “Meega have surprise for Lilo. We nagga be home for dinner. Isa special day.” He proudly declared making extra sure to get across that today was special. Nani questioned this for a second then remembering what day it was, told him that it was okay, but just not to be out past dark. She gave him a quick pat on the head before getting into her car, hoping she wouldn’t be fired.

Happy that he had permission to keep Lilo out after school Stitch began his plans. _Today must be perfect for Lilo. Oh, I hope she likes what I have planned._ _We work hard getting all experiments, now it time for us to relax._ Deep in thought of all the times he and Lilo spent together, Stitch almost forgot something very important. Quickly running to the lift he heard it begin to whir as it took him up to Lilo and his room. As he reached the top he got lost in thought once again. _What if she doesn’t like it? Nagga, she will love it! She has to._ Thinking about the evening he was about to put together brought a smile to his face. One big enough that if he wasn’t in his room alone he was sure it would have been very embarrassing.

Running to his cot he lifted up his blanket to find a little tux, just his size, wrapped and folded nicely in plastic. _What would I have done if I forgot this?_ Noticing how late it was getting Stitch quickly went back downstairs and ran out into the forest with his bag of supplies.

 

A ways away from Stitch, on another part of the island, Lilo arrived at her hula class eager to start dancing. She always loved dancing. She even loved to make up hulas. Not all of them serious of course. She made them for fun. Normally no one ever got to see these hulas. _If anyone ever saw me doing that I think I’d die from embarrassment._ However, there was something special on Lilo’s mind today. _There is Stitch though, I suppose I could always finish that hula for him._ Lilo’s thoughts took her back to a few months ago. She had started coordinating a hula when Stitch crept onto her mind. Finding herself unable to think of anything else she changed the hula into something special to show Stitch one day. But before she could finish it Stitch came into their room, not wanting him to see it before she was finished she stopped. Laughing inside Lilo’s thoughts continued to be fixated on Stitch. _I wonder what he has in that bag for me. He looked so cute when he gave it to me._ She felt her hand tingle slightly when she remembered his hand on hers. _That’s weird. What was that feeling?_ Her heart started to speed up thinking about it.

Before she could ponder further on that feeling, she heard footsteps behind her.

“Oh look, it’s Weird-lo.” Lilo turned around to see Mertle Edmonds and her friends having just arrived.

“Hey guys-“ Lilo began before being rudely interrupted.

“Why isn’t your dis-configured dog here with you? He also go tired of you I see.” Mertle said rather proudly.

“YEAH” was quickly followed by the other three girls.

 _This may not be as good a day as I thought._ Lilo thought, completely forgetting about that odd tingling she had right before her friends showed up.

 

Quickly preparing for his best friend Stitch had created a very beautiful setting. Near a cliff at the edge of the forest sat a little table for two. A red floral table cloth carefully draped over the dark blue wood with two wooden chairs facing one another. Not too far away was a small bench. The very same bench that Lilo and he sat at, trying to find the perfect hula right before his glitch nearly killed him. He couldn’t help but think how cute Lilo was when she thought her hula was supposed to be of a chicken. Nearly ready, Stitch placed a candle in the middle of the table, and placed a picnic basket filled with food and drinks he made underneath the table. Nothing could be too perfect for this day. _Lilo, oh how beautiful this evening will be._ Looking at his handy work, he started thinking that something was missing.

Looking towards the forest, Stitch noticed a patch of flowers. The same flower Lilo used as a part of her costume at the May Day Festival. A beautiful white flower, with a pink rim and three pink stems shooting up from the middle. The flowers brought back another memory as well though.

Two months ago.

“Yuuga sure?” Stitch asked looking quite sad.

“Ih. Meega sure.” Said Angel. She was quite heartbroken but knew it for the best. “Meega can tell. Boojiboo no longer meega boojiboo.” Stitch couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Angel was actually breaking up with him. He just couldn’t understand why.

“Gaba? But yuuga boojiboo.” Stitch pleaded, though, as he said the words they suddenly felt foreign to him. _What’s going on? Do I really not love Angel anymore?_ Feeling quite uncomfortable he began to fidget in the picnic table. Angel sat across from him, dreading that this day would come. She just wished it wasn’t so soon.

“Can yuuga truly say yuuga love me?” Angel asked one last time, taking Stitch’s hand into her own. Stitch looked into her eyes. The eyes that used to be able to fill him with so much joy and happiness. But now? He didn’t feel it anymore. Even the feeling of her hands intertwined in his didn’t feel like they used to. A different feeling suddenly took its place. Lilo. As soon as Angel said the word “love” his mind rushed to Lilo. _Why am I thinking about her? I can’t love her. She’s my best friend in the whole world._ The more he thought about it though the more he knew that that was not the case anymore.

Angel waited for a reply. But could see that she wasn’t going to get one. Saddened by the loss of her love she let go of Stitch’s hands. Tears started to swell up into her eyes and she didn’t want him to see her cry. She jumped down from her seat and started walking away with her ears drooping down when she realized something.

“It Lilo, right?” she asked, not really knowing what to feel anymore.

 Stitch was suddenly taken out of his trance at the mention of Lilo’s name.

“Gaba?”

“I see how yuuga look at Lilo.” Angel began wiping away her tears. If Stitch truly loved Lilo then of course she wanted him to be happy. “It like how yuuga look at me before. I can tell. That why meega okataka.”

“Meega love Lilo?” This time the words didn’t feel foreign, it felt right to say.

“Ih. Yuuga should tell her.”

Angel quickly ran to a nearby bush, grabbing a pink and white flower she ran back to Stitch. She found him deep in thought again.

 _I do love Lilo! But what would she say. She couldn’t love me… Sure her crush on Keoni ended a long time ago, but I’m a different species than her. We can’t be together. What if she hates me when I tell her? Maybe she won’t. Maybe she loves me._ Suddenly, he felt something soft in his hand. He looked down to see a little flower, one he knew so well, given to him by Angel. His ears suddenly pressed down against his back and he looked incredibly sad.

“Meega soka, Angel.” He began. Before he could say more though he could see Angel had begun shaking her head. “Gaba? Gaba wrong?”

“Nagga. Nagga wrong, boo-Stitch.” Needing to correct herself Angel began feeling sad again, but knew she couldn’t let Stitch see her that way. She wanted him to be happy, so she had to be happy. And truthfully, it did hurt her, knowing the one she loved was in love with someone else. At the same time she was happy, she knew Lilo and Stitch would be very happy together. All they needed was a little push to get there. “Meega happy for Lilo and Stitch. But Stitch have to tell Lilo. That why meega give you this. Yuuga give Lilo flower and tell her how yuuga feel.”

Stitch looked at her, he could see the sadness in her eyes, and he wanted to comfort her. But he knew that nothing he said could change her mind. They were officially over. That thought didn’t bring as much pain as he thought it would. Lilo was all Stitch could think about now.

“Okataka, meega tell Lilo. Soka Angel. Takka.” With his thanks said Stitch quickly ran home, he needed to prepare. Everything needed to be perfect.

Over the two months Lilo noticed that Stitch and Angel didn’t spend as much time together anymore. When she confronted Stitch about it, all he told her was that Angel broke up with him, but not why she ended it. When she heard the news she couldn’t help but feel happy. _Why don’t I feel sad? My best friend lost the one he loves, so why do I only feel happy about it?_ At the time Lilo couldn’t tell why she felt that way. It was always in the back of her mind, but just out of reach of her understanding.

Present Day

Stitch realized he was lost in thought and quickly checked the little clock he brought with him. _Oh no! Lilo is almost done school. What’ll I do if I don’t finish in time? I can’t have her here without it being perfect._ Stitch quickly grabbed a couple more flowers and made a beautiful flower center piece for the table. Not wasting any time he began setting the plates, noticing how the sun’s light shined off the black plate making it sparkle. _Just like Lilo’s eyes._ Stitch couldn’t help think about her beautiful chocolate brown eyes, something he had lost himself in many times over the last few months. Everything about her was beautiful to him, her raven black hair as it draped down her back, to her soft, tan skin that just seemed to call his attention.

With the table finally ready all Stitch needed was to get dressed. Normally he hated wearing clothes, but today was important. Slipping on his tux he wondered what Lilo would think when she opened up the bag he gave her. Inside he wrote her a note telling her where to go and a bit of what he planned. Of course he didn’t tell her he loved her in the note. That was too important, he needed to tell her that in person. Aside from the note, however, was also a dress. Stitch picked out this dress himself. It would be long enough to reach down to Lilo’s ankles similar to her regular one, but this one was a deep purple without any leaves on it. It had a slight v-cut and would fit to her body a little better than her regular clothes did. He packed matching shoes for her as well as a white flower to be put in her silky black hair.

 _She will look absolutely beautiful._ With everything ready Stitch put on the tiki necklace that Lilo made for him before leaving to pilot the BRB and then lit the candle. All that was left was to wait for his angel to come to him.

 

Class had just let out and Lilo felt awful. The entire day was nothing but torture from Mertle and the others. Normally Moses would stop them, or Lilo would lash out, but not today. Moses was too busy preparing for the upcoming dance the school was going to put on and Lilo just didn’t have the energy. She completely forgot all the happiness she felt that morning, as well as the feelings she had when Stitch grabbed her hand. All she wanted was to go home and lay in her room. Walking home, her feet felt heavy. She kept the bag over her shoulder thinking she would just open it up once she got home.

_I’m sure Stitch won’t mind if I wait a little bit. I’ll just see him at home and tell him about my day. That always makes me feel better. He really is so kind, always listening to me when I need it. His warm fur as he hugs me and his beautiful eyes I always get lost in…. Wait, what did I just think? Well, he is really cute. I did it again. Why do I keep thinking about him like that? And now I’m talking to myself._

Lilo didn’t know what to do about these feelings she was starting to have. She noticed them a while ago when Stitch told her he and Angel broke up but she didn’t pay any mind to them. Now they seemed to be more and more frequent, but today she just didn’t have the energy to dwell on it. Thoughts of the day came back to her as she turned to go up the hill towards their big blue house. Everything that Mertle said and did made Lilo want to cry. Constantly going on about how no one loved her and that they’ll be happier if she would just leave. The entire day was nothing but that and she knew that only Stitch would be able to make her feel better.

Finally Lilo made it home. She opened the door and began heading to her room. Noticing Stitch wasn’t there to greet her, she called out.

“I’m home!”

“Oh Lilo, welcome back.” A voice from the kitchen replied. It wasn’t Stitch’s voice but Nani’s. “I thought you and-“

“It was a bad day today, I’m just going to go to my room okay?”

“Well, alright but-“

“I know, I’ll be ready for dinner on time.”

Before Nani was able to ask why she wasn’t with Stitch, Lilo was already taking the elevator up to her room. Expecting to find Stitch up there waiting for her she suddenly felt sad not finding him there. Putting the bag down Lilo made her way to the bed and pulled herself under the covers. Teary eyed she began to cry a little. All she wanted was for Stitch to be there with her.

After an hour of laying in her room, Lilo lifted her arm up to the ceiling with an outstretched hand. Staring at her hand, all she could think about was Stitch holding it. Those feelings began to creep back up on her as her cheeks suddenly became flushed. _Where is he? Normally he’s here waiting for me. Or even if he isn’t he should be home by now. It’s almost time for supper. I haven’t seen him since….this morning._ Lilo immediately sat up, thinking back to Stitch giving her the bag.

_“Nagga open till after class.”_

Suddenly worried she ran to the bag and quickly opened it up. She was amazed to see one of the most beautiful dresses she’d ever seen inside. And it looked like it was just her size. As she picked it up she felt something fall and hit her foot. Looking down she saw a small note with the words “For Lilo” written on the outside.

Putting the dress down carefully, she opened the note. After reading a few sentences she realized she made a huge mistake.

_Dear Lilo,_

_I’m sorry I wasn’t at school with you today. I hope stupid head Mertle didn’t cause too much trouble. You may wonder how this is written so well when I can barely speak English. I borrowed Jumba’s computer so I could get across what I needed to. But I didn’t break it. Something else did. As I’m sure you know today is a very special day. To me it is anyway. Today is the anniversary of the day you first adopted me and gave me a home. So I decided to make you a big surprise. I asked my cousins to help make the dress and shoes you see before you, I hope they fit you well. Since you just got out of class I’m sure you are hungry, so I made us dinner, you can find me by the bench we sat at when trying to figure out your hula. If you had a bad day I hope I can make it all better. I’ll be waiting, I know you won’t be long._

_Your Stitch_

_P.S. I know I probably don’t need to say it, but the dress is to wear for dinner._

“Oh no. What time is it?” Lilo looked at the clock completely devastated. “He’s been waiting for almost two hours!”

Lilo quickly put on the clothes Stitch provided her knowing she didn’t have a lot of time. Before heading down the lift she saw herself in the mirror and she was absolutely stunning. The purple dress and shoes matched her black hair greatly and really accentuated all of her features. _Stitch isn’t normally concerned with looks, I wonder why he went to all this trouble for dinner. I don’t have time to be standing around thinking about this!_

On her way out of the house she almost ran right into Jumba. Sparring only a few words about needing to hurry, she ran as fast as she could to the spot she hoped Stitch would still be. Begging that she wasn’t too late and that he would forgive her.


	2. Too Late

Lilo ran. She ran as fast as her eleven year old legs would allow her. The leaves let only a little light through the canopies of the trees but that didn’t stop her.  Only thoughts of Stitch filled her mind. _Oh please be there. I’m so sorry I’m late._ All Lilo could imagine as she dashed past branches and bushes was a sad look on Stitch’s face when he realized Lilo wasn’t there when she should have been. Would he be worried that something happened to her? Or would he think she opened the bag and just didn’t care about the surprise for her? These thoughts and more hurt Lilo even more than the insults Mertle used on her. _I never want to hurt you, Stitch!_

 

Stitch sat at the table, waiting for his precious Lilo to come to him. He knew that she should be on her way by now. But he couldn’t help but notice how much time had passed. Stitch just sat in his spot, his elbows on the table and one hand holding up his head. His eyes barely leaving the dancing flame of the candle that now had a noticeable amount of wax melted leaving a small puddle around its base. _Maybe she had to stay late. Yeah, that’s it. She just late, I’m sure she’s on her way here now._ Stitch tried to reassure himself that Lilo was on her way, but as the time went, on he couldn’t help but feel a little hurt. Suddenly he heard a rustling coming from the bushes.

Stitch jumped up with his arms outstretched and a big toothy grin on his face calling out to his friend.

“Lilo!”

“Croak”

“Gaba?”

“Croak”

Stitch looked down to see that out from the bushes leapt a little green frog.

“Yuuga nagga Lilo.”

He went over to the frog, ears lowered, picked him up and started to pet him as he sat back down. Staring over at the empty seat he imagined Lilo sitting there, her pretty face glowing under the low sun as they would talk and eat dinner together. _Maybe she doesn’t care….NO! Lilo care a lot about Stitch. Maybe not as much as I care about her…. But she still my friend. She will show._ Stitch noticed that more of the candle had melted, signifying the passage of time even more. Just then the frog jumped out of his hands and hopped away.

“Ah, okataka. Good night Froggy!” He waved good-bye to the frog and with a sigh blew out the candle.

“Meega best go home, Lilo probably there anyway.”

With a few tears starting to form in the corner of his eyes Stitch hopped down from his seat and took off his tiki necklace to set it down on the table. Even with the God of strength on his side he didn’t feel strong enough right now. He had all these plans to tell Lilo how he loved her, but now he couldn’t do it. He was just too sad. _Maybe it best we just stay friends after all._ With that final thought, Stitch left the necklace to sit by his plate and slowly walked back into the forest to go home. He looked and felt just like he did when he first arrived lost in Kaua’i.

 

“I’m almost there.” Repeated a very exhausted Lilo. Almost falling quite a few times in the forest nothing got in her way as she was dead set to find Stitch. Over and over she continued telling herself she was almost there when finally she saw the opening in the trees. _Right there! Stitch will be just beyond there and I can tell him how sorry I am for being late._

Lilo burst through the bushes to find her best friend, but he wasn’t around.

“Stitch?” She said very softly.

She looked around and saw a small table with a red table cloth. She walked up to it and saw the beautiful set up made just for her. She looked down at the plates, empty and cold. Looking into the ebony painted plates she saw her reflection, it reminded her of Stitch’s eyes. Every time she would look into them she would see herself looking right back. The plates didn’t capture the care she always saw in his eyes though. She could see the puddle of wax around the candle with smoke trailing from the wick. _If there’s still smoke he must have just left!_ As she turned around to start looking for her friend she knocked something to the ground. She looked down to see a necklace, the tiki necklace she made for Stitch before he left to pilot the BRB.

“He wouldn’t leave this unless…. Oh no. He must have thought I wasn’t coming.”

As quickly as she had come she ran to the edge of the forest and started shouting for Stitch. Putting her hands up to her mouth as if to create a megaphone so her voice would travel farther, she knew if he was nearby he would be able to hear her for sure. She wanted nothing more than to see him come out of the bushes, like he was playing hide-and-seek and had just won, but no one came.

“Stitch! Please come back! I’m sorry I wasn’t here! But I’m here now! Stitch!” She waited but no reply could be heard. Nothing but a small croak from a nearby frog and the warm breeze flowing through the trees.

Feeling defeated Lilo made her way back to the table, she picked up the necklace and sat in her chair holding the little wooden figure close to her chest. Seeing all the work Stitch went through, just for her, caused new tears to swell up in her eyes. She felt awful. For the first time since Stitch’s glitch she had really let him down. He’d never done anything like this for anyone before. _He must really love me. I mean, of course he does. We’ve been friends for six years. That’s more than half my life and all of his. Of course he loves me, we’re best friends. But he didn’t even do something like this when he was with Angel… but he did for me. Oh, Stitch. I’m so sorry, I really let you down._

Lilo couldn’t hold back the tears anymore, she let down her one true friend in the whole wide world. _How could I do that to him?_ _How can I ever make this up to him?_ Knowing she couldn’t stay there forever, she looked down at her plate and saw her reflection. Her tears had left a trail down her cheeks. Quickly wiping them away she began to get up, when a sound caught her attention.

“Happy Anniversary.” said a soft voice from behind her.

“Huh?”

Lilo frantically turned around to find Stitch. Looking very bashful and very unsure of himself, adorned in a very fancy tuxedo.

“Stitch!” Unable to hide the happiness in her voice Lilo ran to her friend and pulled him into a huge hug. Kissing his cheek, she apologized over and over to him.

Stitch meanwhile was suddenly frozen. Having Lilo suddenly hold him like that was more than he could handle. He grabbed hold of her, smelling the coconut aroma from her hair, all he could think about was how much he cared about her. Then he felt the kiss on his cheek!

“Yuuga not forget Stitch?” He asked a bit apprehensively.

“Of course not. Why would you think I could ever forget you?”

He pushed her off him a little so he could look into her eyes. Again lost in the beauty that was Lilo he told her how he felt when she didn’t come and that he thought she had forgot about him or didn’t care about the day.

“I’m so sorry, Stitch. I just had such a bad day.” Lilo realized how hurt Stitch actually was, in an effort to make him feel better she wrapped her arms around his neck and re-hooked his necklace. She then took his hand to lead him back to the table. “Mertle said some things in class. She actually said a lot of things.” As Lilo continued Stitch was hanging on every word, but he couldn’t pull himself away from the feeling of her hand in his. It felt as though their hands were made for each other, perfectly intertwined, like two pieces of a puzzle becoming whole. Finally reaching the table, Lilo was almost finished her explanation, however stopped when she noticed an odd look on Stitch’s face.

 _He looks really happy about something. What’s he looking at?_ She traced his gaze and found herself also staring at it. She was still holding his hand. She suddenly felt nervous and tried to pull her hand away but it wouldn’t listen to her. In fact she was quite enjoying the feeling of his hand in hers but something told her to let go. A little voice in the back of her head saying that if she didn’t let go it would be too late. Suddenly feeling her cheeks flush and heart quicken she let go, releasing both of them from their shared trance.

As they began to sit back in their respective seats Lilo quickly finished her story, “Anyway, after I got home I looked for you and was sad that I couldn’t find you.”

“Yuuga look for meega?”

“Yeah, I really needed to talk to you but you weren’t there.”

Hearing that he wasn’t there for his friend Stitch became sad again. Ears drooping back down Stitch thought that maybe his big surprise wasn’t as good an idea as he thought.

“Meega soka, Lilo.”

“Oh no, Stitch.” Lilo mentally kicked herself for using the wrong words. “It was my fault, if I had just done what I said I would, I would have been here right away. Then we wouldn’t have been sad.”

“Yuuga sad?”

“Not anymore, now that I’m with you.”

“Ih! Meega not go anywhere.” With that Stitch pulled a match from his jacket pocket and struck it, lighting the candle he quickly shook the flame out before burning himself. As he prepared their meal, Lilo just looked on in amazement. Stitch was being so thoughtful and so gentle. Of course, since they’ve known each other Stitch hadn’t been the same destructive experiment that he was programmed to be, but this was something more. He looked completely nervous, like something was on his mind. As he laid out the salad, he made extra sure not to spill anything, and despite being really hungry he made sure that Lilo had everything she would need first. This was her day as well after all. As he started to pull out a sandwich for each of them he accidently dropped the one that he was meaning to put on Lilo’s plate. She saw that he looked absolutely devastated.

 _He is so cute._ Lilo couldn’t help but giggle at her friend and upon hearing this Stitch laughed at his mistake alongside her.

”It okay, meega made more.” Stitch quickly pulled the extra sandwich he had made and placed it on Lilo’s plate before going back to sit in his chair. “Now we eat.”

The meal was absolutely delicious, it was just a simple salad and sandwich but it was one of the best meals they had ever had. Stitch put so much thought and care into making it the best meal he could. Soon they were finished eating and the sun was getting low, the two just sat across from each other talking. They talked about all their adventures together and everything that had happened between them. Lilo made a move to put a stray lock of hair behind her ear and when she looked back at Stitch all she saw was him admiring her. She felt her heart speed up in her chest and her cheeks flush, she looked down as she put her hands on the table hoping that Stitch didn’t notice her blushing.

Stitch did though, the entire time they were talking all he could see was Lilo. There was no world around them, it was like the only thing that existed was the two of them right then and there. He saw how her eyes lit up whenever she laughed and smiled, he noticed how her beautiful raven hair flowed in the slight breeze. He was ecstatic, he knew then that there could never be another girl like her. Everything about her was perfect, at least to him she was, and that’s all that mattered to him right now. He hoped that while they were talking she didn’t notice him fidgeting and blushing as he tried to find the right time and the right words to tell her how much she truly meant to him.  

While Stitch was going through his mental-war, Lilo was having a struggle of her own. She could no longer ignore these feelings she was having. _Every time he looks at me I feel like I’m on fire. Keoni never even made me feel like this. But Stitch is my best friend. Could I be falling in love with him? Even if I did he couldn’t love me back. Besides, he’s probably still in love with Angel right?_ Thinking about Stitch and Angel getting back together tore at Lilo’s heart. _No, she can’t have my Stitch. Wait, my Stitch? He isn’t mine…._ Lilo began to fidget, playing with her fingers on the table, she was uncomfortable about the thought of Angel and Stitch getting back together. _Where are these feelings coming from? When did they start?_ Lilo began thinking back, back through all the times she and Stitch were together. _I suppose it really started back when he saved me from Gantu and I gave him that kiss on the nose._ Thinking about all the kisses she had given Stitch over the years, she felt her lips start to tingle. Even though they were always innocent, suddenly, they felt more meaningful. She put one of her hands up and touched her lips slightly, now she knew for sure. _Okay, I am in love with him._ She felt her heart beat against her chest as a soft unnoticed hand enveloped her own.

Stitch finally knew what he had to do. If he didn’t tell her tonight then he had no right to tell her at all. Even if he didn’t like the outcome at least he told her. _I at least know she won’t hate me._ Stitch reached out to grab the hand Lilo had left on the table. She looked up to see Stitch gazing at her longingly, seeing him like that made her heart skip even faster and the hair she placed behind her ear fell back in front of her face. She quickly put it back, never once losing eye contact with Stitch.

“Would yuuga like to go for a walk?” Stitch asked knowing exactly where he wanted to confess.

“Um, y-yeah. Sure.” Lilo notice herself starting to stutter. Normally talking to Stitch was the easiest thing in the world, but right now it seemed like the most difficult thing to do. After getting his answer, Stitch leaned over and blew out the candle, and Lilo couldn’t help but smile at the continued delicacy that this “experiment meant for destruction” continued to hold. Having just blown out the candle Stitch jumped down, never once letting go of Lilo’s hand. Now that all the fear of hurting each other was gone she finally got a good look at him in his tux. Thinking about how handsome he is she felt her cheeks redden again but didn’t hide it. Ready for their walk they headed out, Stitch in the lead lightly directing her towards an empty beach. They never let go of each other’s hand the whole way.

“Did yuuga enjoy dinner?” Stitch was finding it difficult to just talk with his friend.

“Y-yeah, it was really good. Did you make it all yourself?”

“Ih, meega make it for Lilo.”

“Well it was delicious.”

“Meega glad yuuga like it.”

Lilo kicked off her shoes so she could feel the warm sand on her feet. The sun was already starting to set. They both knew they would have to go back home soon, but neither wanted the evening to end. Lilo began to run towards the water, hoping the cool refreshing ocean would help calm her down a bit. Seeing his friend run off Stitch could feel the emptiness in his hand now that it no longer held hers. He paid no mind though and chased after his friend. Before she could fully reach the water Stitch jumped, playfully tackling her to the ground. As they began to roll around, each one trying to be on top, they couldn’t stop laughing. Eventually, though, Stitch won.

He was on top of her, his hands on her shoulders. They were both transfixed, staring into each other’s eyes. Nothing hidden, they could see every emotion that they held. All the years they spent together seemed to rush back to them in that moment. Lilo could feel Stitch’s breath on her lips, their faces only an inch or so apart. She didn’t know what she was doing, or what came over her but she slowly closed her eyes and started to bring her lips closer to his. Stitch was doing the same. Both telling themselves that they shouldn’t be doing this. _It’s wrong. Our family wouldn’t understand. We’re different species._

_I haven’t even told her how I feel yet, I can’t kiss her._

_What if he doesn’t feel the same and I force him to kiss me like this._

They didn’t stop there though, all they could hear was the waves rolling on the ocean. The beach was completely deserted except for the two friends. A genetic alien experiment and a Hawaiian girl. About to share their first kiss with each other. _No._ Lilo thought. Breaking her trance she pulled herself away. _I can’t kiss him. I need to know if he feels the same first._ Stitch having been broken from his trance realized what he almost did. Not wanting to force her into anything she didn’t want this was the moment he had to tell her. As he got off, she sat up. Both breathing slowly, realizing what they had almost done. As soon as they caught their breath they looked at each other, almost pulled in again as if the world itself didn’t want them apart.

Stitch began his confession, “Lilo?”

“Yes…”

“Meega have to tell you something.”

Lilo’s mind jumped all over the place, wondering what he was about to say. Knowing it could have been anything, but mostly thinking he was upset that she was about to kiss him. She had to reply with something.

“What is it, Stitch?” As the words left her lips, it suddenly felt like time had stopped.


	3. Boojiboo

Lilo sat in the warm sand waiting for Stitch’s answer. Everything around them seemed to lay perfectly still. As if someone had hit pause while watching a movie. The usual rolling blue waves of the ocean lay unnaturally calm, reflecting the setting sun on the water, the entire ocean was a beautiful mix of orange, red and yellow. Never before had Lilo felt such peace on her island. A warm wind came by, making her hair flow slightly. It was then that Lilo noticed she was holding her breath. Letting a small sigh escape her, she couldn’t calm herself down. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest and her breathing was slightly erratic. _C’mon, girl, get yourself together._ She tried to convince herself that she was sure it would be okay. But thinking back to the entire evening and how Stitch, had been acting she couldn’t help but feel like the next thing Stitch would say was going to change everything. Still worried that he was going to say that he didn’t want to be kissed, she shifted, when she heard him start to talk.

“Lilo,” Stitch began, trying to find the words he was suddenly at a loss, “meega nagga nota how to say this.”

“I-it’s okay. Just take your time.” Lilo said these words but all she truly wanted was for him to just come out and say it. It felt like the suspense itself was killing her.

“Okataka, Lilo, m-meega.” He took a slight gulp. He knew he had to say it no matter what. His hand reached up and grabbed the wooden tiki Lilo made for him so long ago. He could feel strength come to him as he looked up at Lilo. Her beauty astounded him as her silky raven hair blew slightly in the wind. Captivated in her eyes, that he loved so much he knew he could finally do it. This was the girl he loved more than anything in the world.

“Lilo, yuuga the most amazing girl in the world. Meega nagga meet anyone like you before. Gaba meega trying to say isa…” Trying his best to use as much English as he could manage he finally said, “I love you, Lilo.”

“Y-you love me?”

“Ih. More than anything.”

“Oh, Stitch.” Tears started to swell up in her eyes. Stitch thought she was sad but Lilo knew they were tears of happiness. Suddenly everything around them filled with life. Lilo leapt forward, grabbing Stitch they fell back into the warm sand.

“How does Lilo feel?”

“I love you too, Stitch!”

Stitch was filled with more happiness than he ever felt before. He held her firmly in his arms, never wanting to let her go. The two held their embrace as what had just happened came to them. Everything did change now, but it changed for the better. The world could start breaking around them and neither would care or notice. All that mattered was that they had each other and nothing could pull them apart.

Lilo pulled herself up a bit, much to Stitch’s dismay, and wiped away her tears. She looked down at her love, and like before lost herself in his eyes. Stitch was looking at her with such care and love, her heart skipped as she felt Stitch’s hands on her waist. She felt her cheeks flush again but didn’t care. She wanted him to know how he made her feel. Stitch could see the blush in her cheeks, at just a simple touch his body felt like it was on fire. Looking up at her the world around him vanished. All he could see was her beautiful tan skin, sparkling chocolate eyes and raven hair that could make the night sky jealous. Neither one knew who moved first, it was like they didn’t have control over their own bodies anymore. Stitch put one arm around her back and another hand on her head as he slowly lowered her onto the sand and Lilo just let it all happen, never once taking her eyes off of his. Slowly, ever so slowly Stitch began to lean down, he could no longer feel Lilo’s hands on his shoulders, and his breathing began to shorten as he closed his eyes. Neither one stopped it this time, his lips met hers and they lost themselves in their first kiss. Their first real kiss with each other. Lilo was surprised at first, she thought her heart would leap out of her chest, but she too closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his lips on hers.

She moved her hands behind his back and pulled him in deeper, never wanting to let go every touch of his seemed to electrify her body like she never felt before. Stitch caressed her back, moving his hand slowly around down to her waist, he felt like he was melting into her. Like they were becoming one. Something was changing inside him, he didn’t know what it was and he didn’t care. As the kiss continued it filled with more passion, like after it stopped they wouldn’t see each other for years. Holding the other like they would suddenly vanish before them. Lilo could feel the passion from Stitch, and she returned hers, the more he kissed her the more she felt herself giving herself over to him. She didn’t care about it though, all she wanted was to be his. Sadly their lungs begged for air and they reluctantly let each other go gasping for the air their lungs craved.

Lilo was completely awestruck, barely able to hold herself up, all she said the only thing that was on her mind. “That was amazing.”

“Ih.”

“Can we do that again?” Lilo’s smile was so big it could rival Stitch’s mischievous grin.

“All the time.” Stitch replied as he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Even still every time they touched they felt electricity between them. So much so they thought they could power the lighthouse instead of Sparky.

“We should probably head back home now, shouldn’t we?”

“Ih, before Nani worry.”

The two got up and began walking home, lost in what had just happened between them. Utterly speechless they walked in silence, until Lilo grabbed Stitch’s hand. Looking up at the girl of his dreams he asked Lilo a question she didn’t have the answer to.

“Gaba we tell Nani?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure how she would feel if I told her I loved an alien experiment.”

“Ih, meega nagga nota gaba Jumba say either.”

“Maybe it would be best if we just keep it a secret for now.”

“Secret?”

“Yeah, I know. I don’t want to keep it hidden, but just until we know how everyone will feel about it.”

Stitch thought about it for a moment. He kept his hand tight on Lilo’s as they walked through the forest. The sun was getting dangerously low but they didn’t mind. They knew the forest like the back of their hand and could tell that they would make it home before the sun set.

“Ih, we keep secret. Could be fun.”

Lilo looked down at him, a playful look in her eyes that made Stitch a little hot under the collar.

“Well then, we better hurry.” With that Lilo started to run, pulling Stitch along with her. Together they ran home, laughing and giggling as they thought about all the fun they had, and all the fun they will continue to have now that they were together. Together. Something they had been for a long time, you could even say they were together since Lilo was five. But now. Now “together” meant a whole lot more.

They continued their run till they saw their blue house before them. Stopping to catch their breath they looked at each other. Love in their eyes and hearts. They made their way up the stairs, not knowing what the future for them held, or the changes they were going through. All they cared about was that they had each other, and the secret that they would share between them. With a deep breath, Lilo opened the door and the two walked into the house. Not entirely sure how they should act with one another they quickly quit holding hands before someone found them. Just as they let go they heard a loud voice come from kitchen.

“Ah, little girl, 626, good to see you two are home.” Jumba soon entered the living room seeing that they were both dressed up. “I was not getting a chance to ask you earlier, where were you running off to with such hurry?”

Realizing the question was directed at her, Lilo quickly answered. Memories of the evening rushing back, she of course couldn’t tell them about what happened at the beach but she could the rest. “Um, Stitch had made us dinner and I was late. I’m sorry, I could’ve told you where I was going but I didn’t want Stitch to worry.”

“Ah, it being okay. I’m just as surprised to see my little creation all dressed up.” Jumba began to sit down on the couch noticing that the two seemed a little nervous about something, but paid it no mind.

“Ah, it was anniversary.” Said Stitch as he walked up to his creator. “Today was day meega meet Lilo. Isa special.” Hearing his words Jumba quickly stood up arms stretched.

“My word was that today? Ve need to be celebrating.”

“We already did, Jumba.” Lilo giggled, “But we are kinda tired now, I think it was time we had a bath and go to bed.”

At the mention of bath Stitch suddenly tensed. Hating the water he ran to his room as fast as he could. Lilo quickly ran after him but he made it to the lift too fast. As Lilo turned the corner to go into the hall she ran into a tall noodle like alien.

“Hold it, hold everything.” Pleakley shouted in his usual tone of panic. “Where were you young lady?”

Lilo sighed before answering, “Stitch made us dinner because it’s the anniversary of when we first met, and we just now got home. We’re tired and dirty, and now we need a bath!” She yelled the last part so Stitch would be able to hear.

“Well, alright then. But you missed an amazing supper!”

“I’m sure we did. Hopefully we will be able to try it soon.”

Lilo called the elevator and took it up. Knowing she had a battle ahead of her. Reaching the top she saw Stitch, still in his tux clinging to the ceiling.

“Come down, Stitch. We were laying in sand and need to get clean.”

“Nagga! Water bad.”

“Water isn’t bad, silly. Besides, has anything bad happened in the bath yet?”

“Nagga…”

“Exactly. Now please come down.”

Stitch reluctantly scurried down the wall and gave Lilo a quick hug, she returned his embraced but sighed a bit when he let her go. Not wanting to ruin his tux Stitch began undressing. Noticing this Lilo blushed and turned away. _What am I doing? I’ve seen him without clothes all the time._ She turned to look again but blushed even harder.

“I’m going to the bathroom, meet me there?”

“Ih.”

She hurriedly took the lift down and checked that the hallway was clear. She didn’t want anyone to see her face so red. They might question it and then things could go bad. Running to the bathroom, she quickly closed the door and pressed her back against it. Sliding down she put a hand to her chest and felt her heart beat. _I need to calm down. It’s just Stitch, he hasn’t changed._ She was assuring herself that everything was okay when someone knocked on the door. Jumping at the sudden sound she quickly moved away and turned to face the entrance.

“Come in.”

Stitch walked in, no longer wearing his tux. Lilo wasn’t fazed at all by his appearance. _I guess it was just the thought of him undressing._ Stitch tilted his head noticing the sigh of relief come over Lilo’s face.

“Yuuga okataka?”

“Yes, I’m okay. Now come on. Time to wash up.”

Lilo walked over to the bath tub as Stitch followed. She began running the water trying to get it to a good temperature before they started getting in. Judging that the water okay, Lilo quickly poured a bit of bubble bath soap and then threw in Stitch’s favorite rubber duck. It always helped him feel more relaxed when taking a bath. Happy with the bath set-up, she began taking off her own clothes. Not wanting to just throw the nice dress on the floor she found a nearby wicker basket and put her shoes and the flower in. As she started removing her dress she felt a pair of eyes on her. Turning around she saw Stitch looking at her, his head titled to the side again as he assessed everything. Suddenly feeling embarrassed she turned around hiding her newly flushed cheeks. Stitch, realizing that Lilo was taking her dress off, also started to blush and quickly jumped in the tub. Unable to look at her bare form. _What’s wrong with me? We’ve taken hundreds of baths together. This is nothing different. Is it because of how our relationship now?_ Lost in thought he didn’t notice the water stopped running and the bubbles nearly overflowing. He was taken away from his thoughts as he felt the water slowly rise. He looked over to see Lilo getting into the tub with him. At first they just looked at each other. Both clearly embarrassed to be naked together despite how used to it they were. Quickly though they began to laugh at it all.

The bath went as normal. Both were still slightly embarrassed about bathing together but there was no harm in it. Especially since they had done it before. Soon after they were back in their dome room drying off and getting ready for bed. Lilo put on her regular teal nightgown and tonight Stitch even wore his light blue pajamas. Not really talking the two of them enjoyed just being near each other. Knowing that they had hula class the next day they quickly jumped into bed to be pulled into the land of slumber.

Lilo and Stitch laid in their beds in silence. Going on for about a half an hour one of them finally said something.

“Stitch? Are you asleep?” Lilo whispered. If he was asleep she didn’t want to rudely wake him up.

“Nagga. Yuuga?”

“No, silly. I’m not.” Lilo giggled making Stitch’s ears twitch. The sound of her laughter was like angelic bells to him, ringing deep inside. He rolled over to look at her and to his amazement she was still just as pretty as she was at dinner. Her face seemed to glow in the moonlight, Stitch couldn’t look away even if he wanted to.

“Would it be okay if you come sleep with me tonight? It’s cold.” Lilo tried to make it sound convincing but even she didn’t believe herself. She really just wanted to be held by him again.

“Ih. Of course.” Stitch hoped off of his cot and walked over to Lilo’s bed as she made room for him. He got under the covers and snuggled close to her. Feeling his warmth Lilo quickly threw her arm around him and nuzzled her head against his chest.

“Thank you.” She whispered. Closing her eyes to finally go to sleep she felt her head move up. Stitch was holding her chin with his index finger and kissed her softly on the lips. She returned his kiss in full but kept herself from losing herself in the passion like they did earlier. Satisfied with themselves they broke away and cuddled close finally ready for sleep to take them away.

“I love you.” Escaped Lilo’s lips, but before the warmth put her to sleep she heard a reply.

“Meega love yuuga too, boojiboo.” Stitch fell asleep with Lilo in his arms, and Lilo fell asleep in his, the word “boojiboo” causing her to smile greatly.

 


	4. No Pets

Morning came too quick for the sleeping couple. Still curled up against her boyfriend, Stitch, Lilo winced slightly at the morning sun shining down on her face. Slowly opening her eyes, she found a big black pair of eyes looking back at hers. This was the first time she had awoken to Stitch so close to her. She felt over joyed as she got lost in his, black as night, eyes.

Smiling at his now awoken angel, Stitch gave her a quick kiss and whispered, “Morning.”

“Morning right back.” She replied returning his kiss. “It came too soon, though. You’re so warm. I just want to lay in bed with you all day.”

“There still time. We sleep a little more.”

With a nod, Lilo shifted around, Stitch now to her back, she made sure the window was closed to stop any disturbing light from getting in. Never wanting to detach from her, Stitch wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close. Nuzzling the back of her head, he gave her a quick kiss and felt her breathing return back to a slow rhythm. Happy that she was now sleeping, he held on tighter and closed his eyes. Nothing could be better than this. He wished it to never end.

About an hour later a whirring sound awoke them. Upset at the disturbance Lilo frowned and reached up to turn off the alarm on her bedside table. After a few feeble attempts with her eyes still closed, she finally hit the “off” button. The whirring, however, continued. Confused, she hit it a few more times when realization finally set upon her. Someone was coming up the lift.

“Stitch.” She whispered, not wanting whoever was quickly approaching to hear her.

“Gaba?” Turning around in his grip, Lilo couldn’t help but smile at how cute he was when he was asleep. His ears were pressed completely down against the back of his head as he laid slightly on his arm. She could feel his other hand on her waist, every move she made seemed to make him hold tighter. As if she would suddenly vanish. She knew it had to end soon though, at least for now. The thought of having to leave his embrace saddened her, even more than the worry of being caught. _Who knows what will happen if we get caught, though. It’s not worth the risk of losing him._

“Someone’s coming Stitch. You gotta move.” She said while slightly pushing him.

Lilo’s words surged through his head till it finally dawned on him what was happening. He could hear the lift moving up to them. Any second now whoever it was would be able to see him in bed with Lilo, his arm around her. Completely panicked his eyes shot wide-open, his super-computer brain began planning his next move. He couldn’t get to his cot in time to make it look like he was sleeping, and he most certainly couldn’t stay where he was, no matter how much he wished to. His only option was to try his best to get to his cot, at least close enough to make it look like he just got out. He reluctantly let go of Lilo. _I will be able to hold her again soon_. With a sad sigh, he hopped out of bed and without making a sound, scurried on all fours to get to the other side of the dome as fast as possible.

He made it just in time, not noticing, however, that his night cap was no longer on his head. As he turned around to look like he was getting down from his normal resting place, Nani’s head poked through the little girl and experiment sized hole in the floor. Before the lift fully stopped Nani was already addressing the two of them.

“Wake u- Oh! You’re already awake.” She turned to Stitch noticing he was out of breath. “You okay?”

“Ih. Meega, ah, had bad dream. Ih! Bad dream.” Stitch gave a smile with his comment, trying to feign some innocence.

“Okay.” Nani extended the word noticing Stitch’s odd behavior, but didn’t think too much on it as Stitch acted odd a lot of the time. Turning to her little sister she saw that Lilo was also looking quite flustered. Almost as if she had just walked in on something private. But as far as Nani knew they had just awoken, so she couldn’t have disturbed them. “If you two were up why didn’t you answer when I called?”

She crossed her arms and started to tap her foot waiting for a reply. She didn’t like when anyone, especially her little sister, ignored her and was not going to put up with anything today. “Well? I’m waiting.”

Lilo was the one to reply, knowing it was better for her to say something than Stitch. He wasn’t as good a liar as she was after all. “We, um, we didn’t answer because of, um, the fact that we couldn’t hear you over a bird that was out our window! Yeah, he was really loud. He kept squawking and taping the glass.” Rather proud of herself she looked up at her sister with as much of a genuine smile, as she could make, on her face. Thinking she might be in the clear she threw away the covers and hoped down off the bed. As she did though, something else came down with her. All three of them looked down to see Stitch’s night cap at the little girl’s feet.

Stitch threw his hands to his head, grasping frantically hoping that he was just seeing things, and that it would actually be on his head. Unable to feel it a gasp escaped his lips, his hands shot to his mouth to stifle it hoping that Nani didn’t hear him. Seeing that she didn’t turn around he figured he was in the clear, but he knew they weren’t. They needed to come up with an excuse, and fast.

Nani bent down on one knee and picked the night cap up. Looking at it she had a new question on her mind. “What was this doing with you, Lilo? Didn’t Stitch wear it last night?”

“He did.”

“What?”

Realizing she spoke too soon she snatched the blue fabric out of her sister’s hands and desperately started an excuse, only half formed in her head. “I had a nightmare last night. I couldn’t find Scrump so Stitch offered me his cap to cuddle.”

“But Scrump is right there.” Lilo followed Nani’s pointing hand to see Scrump right on the desk she kept for drawing and planning.

“It was dark?” More of a question than a statement Lilo winced as she placed her hands behind her back, hoping against hope that she was convincing enough not to arouse further suspicion on the subject. Nani just shrugged and left the two to get ready for the day. When they heard the click of the lift Lilo quickly pushed the “lock” button and they both sighed. Falling backwards, they sat up staring at each other for a few seconds before they burst out laughing.

“That close.” Stitch said once he started getting control of himself.

“It was.” Lilo was wiping a tear from her eye from laughing too hard, “We will need to lock the dome before going to sleep from now on.”

“Ih.”

“You ready for breakfast.”

“If yuuga are.”

“Alright. I’m just going to get dressed first.” With that, Lilo got up to get dressed, Stitch followed suit since he was still in his pajamas. Having trouble deciding what to wear, Lilo picked a faded blue t-shirt and a tan pair of shorts. When she was done she took Stitch’s hand to lead him downstairs. “C’mon, boojiboo.” Stitch’s ears twitched at the name Lilo called him, it made his heart leap, and he couldn’t be happier about it.

Reaching the kitchen the young couple quickly let go of each other’s hand. They wanted to spend every minute holding on, but knew they couldn’t, in fear that their secret would be discovered. Breakfast continued as normal. Nani was just as panicked about being late, if not more so, as usual. Pleakley, on the other hand, was rather quiet. When asked about it all he said was, “I missed the new episode of Bake Off yesterday.” Not wanting to question it no one asked him to elaborate. Breakfast was just like every other breakfast, except one thing, Lilo and Stitch were sitting closer together than usual. They always sat on the same side of the table together, leaving Jumba and Pleakley on the other and then Nani would hold the head seat. Today though, Jumba noticed his creation and the little girl were not only closer, but kept looking at each other far more than usual. He made note of if but did not say anything.

Knowing they had little time Lilo and Stitch quickly finished their breakfast. Downing the rest of his coconut cake and coffee, Lilo quickly stopped him from eating the plate and cup. Having just finished her meal as well, Lilo hopped down from her seat and took off at a run.

“Come on, Stitch! We don’t want to be late.”

“Ih. Meega coming.” Stitch ran after her, knowing they would be alone on the way to class.

Just as Stitch had thought they were indeed alone. Happy to have some privacy for the first time since they went to sleep, they walked hand in hand. It was almost as if their hands were glued together. Stitch brought Lilo’s hand up to his face and gave the back of her hand a soft kiss, causing her to blush and smile. _I can’t believe we’re together_ Lilo thought, unable to keep her happiness off her face. _I am so lucky. Why didn’t we do this sooner?_ Just then she remembered that they had to keep it a secret and became slightly sad.

Stitch saw the smile fade from her face, and almost as if he had read her mind told her, “It will be oketaka. We able to tell them one day.”

“I know. I just wish we could now.” The kind words brought the smile back to her face, “I will be okay, and I was actually thinking that I wished we would have done this sooner.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Suddenly, Lilo felt her arm being pulled, “What are you doing, Stitch?”

Stitch began dragging Lilo, with little resistance, off of the path and through some bushes. Lilo didn’t know what was happening, but her words had light a fire in Stitch’s heart. Pulling the love of his life only a few feet away from the main road, he found a nearby tree where he carefully but strongly spun Lilo around, and pressed her up against the tree with his hands on either side of her. He looked deeply into her eyes. Lilo didn’t know what was happening, before she knew it her back was against a tree and Stitch was staring longingly at her. She looked back into his eyes, and her heart beat started increasing by the second. She didn’t know why, but she liked the forcefulness that Stitch showed. Something about it all made her excited, as if anticipating something, but she didn’t know what it was. She just continued to stare into his eyes. _What’s going on? Why are we here, what’s Stitch up to?_

Before she could continue her thought Stitch suddenly put his lips to her. Surprised, Lilo didn’t know how to react, this was new to her. They kissed yesterday but this kiss felt different. Where yesterday’s kiss on the beach was filled with innocent passion this one was filled with all the bottled up love Stitch had for her. Like a dam of his love, just about to overflow, had suddenly burst. After the initial surprise passed, Lilo gave into the kiss, returning in full if not more. Their lips danced upon each other’s with no thought other than to give their loved one all they could. Stitch again felt something inside him. He didn’t know what it was, all he knew was that Lilo was his, and he was going to love her as much as he could. Lilo pulled her hands up and wrapped them around Stitch’s back to pull him closer. She wanted to feel him against her, unable to get away, not that she was trying. She could feel herself pressed against the rough bark of the tree, not caring that any moment someone could come down the path and see them, locked in a forbidden embrace. At the thought of being discovered Lilo was filled with an even deeper fire, she was actually slightly excited by the thought of being caught. They stayed locked in their embrace for several more minutes, only stopping because their lungs begged for air.

Finally pulling away, Stitch saw one of the biggest smiles Lilo had ever made. Looking into her chocolate eyes he saw the ecstasy on her face and was completely satisfied with himself.

Lilo couldn’t move. The wave of emotions still coursing through her all she could do was smile and giggle to herself. _That was amazing. I’ve never felt like that before. Every touch of his just sets me on fire._

Still slightly out of breath she needed to say something to him, “Stitch… why did you do that?”

“Meega just wanted to show love for boojiboo.”

“Well, mister, we could have been caught.” Lilo tried to sound serious but all that came out was a playful tone that she and stitch both liked. All Stitch could do in reply was grin devilishly. _You little monster._  Lilo had thought. “We had better get going now.”

“Oketaka, boojiboo.”

The two laughed as they quickly made their way to class. Still thinking about earlier, the two couldn’t wait to be alone again. Not even Mertle Edmonds could ruin the mood Lilo and Stitch were in. Although, they had a feeling she would try.

Having just finished changing, Lilo met Stitch in the main room and was about to give him another kiss when Mertle, Yuki, Teresa, and Elena walked in. Before Lilo could even sit down, Mertle tried to push Lilo’s buttons.

“Oh look its Weirdlo. I see your ‘dog’ came with you today.” She was looking down at her fingernails, trying to show that Lilo wasn’t even worth her time. “I guessed he would though. Come here out of pity I mean.”

“Yeah” shortly followed, after Mertle finished her insult, as it always does. If she wasn’t trying to act superior, Mertle would have noticed Lilo and Stitch weren’t even paying attention.

“When are you finally gonna quit class? You aren’t even good at hula, and you’ll never be as good as your mom was anyway.”

“I think I’m a pretty good dancer,” Lilo finished sitting down to wait for their teacher and started to pet Stitch behind the ears, “what do you think, Stitch? Am I good at hula?”

“Ih, ah, woof.” Stitch almost began talking, he wasn’t thinking very well because of Lilo’s attention to his weak spot, fortunately he caught himself. Mertle knew about the experiments, but the others didn’t. After the battle with the Leroys she agreed that she would continue pretending that Stitch was a dog in exchange for getting to keep Gigi. Unwillingly becoming a part of their ohana. An annoying part, but a part none the less.

“See? Stitch thinks I’m a good dancer, that’s all that matters.” With that Lilo looked away from her friends and just smiled at Stitch, seeing that he was enjoying her petting. The four girls just gave her a weird look of disgust. They could tell something was different about the two. Especially since Lilo didn’t blow up over the comment about her mom. Before they were able to say any more though, they heard Moses come in.

“Settle down now girls.” He waved his hands to let them know they should sit down. “Now we aren’t going to be doing any dancing today.” Moses waited for the collective groan to pass before continuing. “I know you are all disappointed, but I have some other news. As you may have noticed I’ve been really busy with a special ‘dance’ project. I’ve kept it a surprise, but now is the perfect time to announce it. We are going to be holding a public dance here at the school.”

Having to be the first at everything, Mertle was quick to make a comment. “We always put on dances here. What’s so special about this?”

“I’m glad you asked. This isn’t going to be a dance you perform, but a ‘dance’ as in a party.”

“So it’ll be like a prom?”

“A wedding?”

“A school dance?”

Elena, Teresa and Yuki all spoke up at once, no one could really tell who said what. Moses had a look of surprise at the sudden increase in enthusiasm from the girls.

“Yes, it’ll be exactly like that, except no one will be getting married.”

Lilo looked over at Stitch and realized one crucial factor of these kind of dances. “So, does that mean we will have to bring a date, Kumu?”

“You don’t have to bring a date, but yes you can.”

“It’s a good thing you don’t have to bring a date or else Weirdlo wouldn’t be able to go. It’s too bad really, it would have been better if she wasn’t there.”

Lilo paid no attention. She was just looking at Stitch as he was looking at her. They both knew what it meant to bring a date. They began fantasizing what it would be like to go to the dance together when Moses came over. He got down on one knee and put his hand on Lilo’s shoulder to make sure he had her attention.

“Now Lilo, I know what you’re thinking.”

“You do?” Lilo’s heart began to race. _Have people already figured out what’s happening between me and Stitch?_

“Yes I do, and I just want to say it now, there will be no pets allowed. I know he is your friend and on…good days he doesn’t cause any problems. But just for that night could you leave him at home?”

Lilo looked over at Stitch, normally she would see love in his eyes, but now all she saw now was sadness as Moses words sunk into him. _He really wanted to go with me. There has to be a way._

“But I promise he’ll be good! Won’t you, Stitch?” Stitch nodded his head profusely. All he wanted was to be able to take Lilo to the dance.

“I’m sorry, Lilo. But we just can’t risk having something happen again.” With that, Moses got up to go continue planning. Leaving behind a very sad little girl and alien experiment.

 

Meanwhile, in a spaceship hidden within a bunch of trees on a hill, Jumba was working away in his lab. The entire room was pitch black, the only light source was the monitor to the lab’s main computer. Jumba typed away furiously, an astounded yet confused look stuck on his face.

“I am not understanding. Why is it being now?” He spun around in his seat. Bringing his hand up to scratch his chin he began to think out loud.

“I was always planning of this, but to think it would be 626 alone?  What could it be meaning?” Throwing his hands up in frustration he turned back to the computer. Trying all different combinations of variables the same result came up, again, and again, and again.

“This could not be of happening without other subject.” Jumba got up from his computer, shutting it down he turned to leave. _I am going to be needed of live sample to test from._ As he exited the ship, he looked up at the beautiful afternoon sky.

“I just hoping I am being wrong about this.”

   


	5. Still Have Fun

Class couldn’t have ended sooner for the young couple. After telling Lilo that she couldn’t bring Stitch to the dance, Moses announced that it would be held next Saturday. All the girls were absolutely ecstatic. All of them, except Lilo. Moses felt bad that he hurt the little girl’s feelings, but he knew that it was for the best. Too many times had Stitch caused trouble and destruction, and he didn’t want the school’s first dance to be ruined.

“Alright girls. I’ll let you start preparing for next weekend.” He frowned, he always hated to see one of his students sad. “We will have class, as usual, on Monday.” Finishing his announcement, he left with a heavy conscience.

Mertle and her friends quickly ran out, eager to start their early weekend, taking about playing with dolls and watching movies. Lilo, however, didn’t feel up to running. With her head lowered, she went back to get changed. Stitch saw that she was upset, and he was too. Images of him holding her close as they danced the night away filled his mind. He sighed, knowing that it could never be. _If I can’t take her to that dance. Then maybe I can do something else for my boojiboo._ Knowing he didn’t have a lot of time, Stitch grabbed his legs and put them in his mouth. Rolling into a ball he moved much faster. Once outside, he followed his nose. Rolling through a few trees, Stitch found his destination. A small grove of flowers lay hidden near the edge of the forest. Looking nearly untouched, he carefully chose a few flowers. Having made a small bouquet of pink and yellow, he needed to hurry before Lilo noticed he was gone.

Running back into the dance room, Stitch spotted Lilo coming out of the changing area. She still had the disappointed look on her face. _Awe, my Lilo. I hope this makes you feel better._ Before Lilo knew what was happening, Stitch had grabbed her hand and spun her around like an expert dancer. As soon as the spin ended, Stitch dipped her slightly, leaving her to hang, his face only an inch from hers.

“Whoa. Um… hi.” Lilo was speechless. All she could feel was her heart race as she lay suspended in Stitch’s arm. Stitch closed whatever gap there was between them and gave her a soft and gentle kiss. Melting all her troubles away, Lilo gave herself into the kiss. _How does he always know just what to do?_ Feeling the lips below his slowly turn into a smile, Stitch pulled away from the kiss.

“Aww. Why’d you stop?” Lilo brought one of her hands up and placed it on Stitch’s chest, she began playing with his ocean blue fur with a dreamy look in her eyes. “I was really enjoying that, boojiboo.”

“We continue, but first. Meega thought yuuga like these.” Stitch pulled the flowers out from behind his back, giving them to Lilo, her face filled with surprise.

“These are beautiful, Stitch.” Taking them from Stitch, she brought them up to her nose to enjoy their fragrance. “They smell so good!” She gave him another quick kiss as he brought her back on her feet. “Where did you get these?”

“Meega find them in forest. Meega wanted to make yuuga feel better.”

“Oh, Stitch,” Lilo couldn’t help but blush at his sweetness, “I’m sorry I was so sad. Thank you. These flowers really are beautiful.”

“Meega thought yuuga like them.”

“I really do. We better get them home and in some water, huh?” Feeling her spirits brighten, Lilo gave Stitch a hug before they left. Stitch could feel himself blush in her embrace. He was ecstatic to have his Lilo happy again. If it wasn’t for his fur he was sure Lilo would see his cheeks flush magenta. Being so close, he could smell the coconut scent of her hair tickle his nose. Once again, he could feel something inside himself changing. _Maybe I’m hungry. It is lunch time._ Thinking nothing of it, he just hugged Lilo tighter, much to her enjoyment. She loved the feeling of his warm fluffy fur.

Assured that each other was once again happy, they set off for their home. Being out in public, Stitch walked on all fours slightly behind Lilo. They both wished they wouldn’t have to keep up the charade of Stitch being a dog for much longer, but knew the general populace wouldn’t be able to handle the idea of aliens yet. Only a few people knew what the experiments around the island were, the rest just thought they were strange animals. Wanting to get home faster, they cut into their usual forest paths. Even though they couldn’t be open about their feelings to others, they still just enjoyed being in each other’s company. Listening to the serene sounds of the jungle, Stitch was the first one to break the silence.

“Meega can’t go to dance.”

Lilo looked down at Stitch, confused as to why he would bring the dance up again. “No, you can’t. I’m sorry.”

Noticing his mistake, Stitch quickly backtracked to keep Lilo from being sad again. “Nagga. Meega can’t go to dance, but we can still have fun. Ih?”

“Yeah. What did you have in mind?”

Stitch stood up from his previous position and got in front of Lilo. Being curious, Lilo tilted her head to the side. He brought one hand up to his mouth and cleared his throat, as if he was about to make a big announcement.

“Would Lilo like to go on date with Stitch?” He paused, waiting for a reply. He could feel his cheeks warm from blushing. Even if you could consider what they had done yesterday a ‘date,’ they never actually said it was.

“Of course I will, Stitch.” Lilo couldn’t help but smile greatly. “I would love nothing more.”

“Tomorrow Saturday. We get whole day together.” Stitch threw his arms open, he couldn’t contain his happiness as he began jumping around.

“It’s a date then.” Lilo giggled at Stitch’s display of energy. “Come one, we need to get home, silly.”

Lilo took Stitch’s hand, never letting go the entire way home. She really enjoyed being close to Stitch. She felt that as long as they were together, they could do just about anything. When they finally reached their house, they found it completely empty.

“I guess no one’s home yet.”

“Ih. We get house!”

Before Lilo could reply she heard Stitch’s stomach rumble. “Heehee. I guess you’re hungry, huh?”

“Ih.” Stitch put his hands to his stomach, he was actually able to feel it beg for food. _That’s weird. I thought I was hungry earlier._

“Well, I’m hungry too.” Lilo handed the bouquet of flowers to Stitch. “You get these into some water, while I start fixing us up some lunch.

With that, Lilo went into the kitchen, unsure of what she should make. Meanwhile, Stitch went to work. He scoured the entire house, but was unable to find a free vase. Remembering that he broke the last vase a few days ago, he began trying to think of another solution. Looking around for different possibilities, Stitch spotted a discarded glass on the arm of the couch. He picked the glass up and compared the size of it to the length of the flowers. Finding the flowers a little too long, he clipped the ends of the stems with one of his nails. Measuring them again and happy with the results he scurried to the bathroom to fill the glass. Make shift vase filled and ready, he ran to his room to place the bouquet. Stitch carefully placed the glass on the bedside table and put the flowers inside. Stepping away to check his handy work, he frowned. It didn’t look quite right. Using his finger he pushed it an inch to the right, stepping back again he smiled.

“Perfect.”

Stitch’s ears twitched at the sound of a voice calling from below. “Lunch is ready, Stitch!”

Having just called Stitch down, Lilo went into the living room and put the large plate of hotdogs on the couch. Grabbing the T.V. remote she sat down beside the plate and started flipping through the channels. She frowned at the selection. Noon wasn’t a good time for television, but she managed to find a rerun of “Wasp Mummies II” on the horror channel. As she put down the remote she felt a gust of air blow past her. She looked to her left to see Stitch now sitting next to her.

“You sure ran here fast,” she said with a giggle, “what took you so long?”

“Made sure it perfect.” Stitch replied with a smile. “Made sure yuuga love it.”

“I’d love anything from you, boojiboo.”

Alone at last and ready to eat, the two held hands as they ate the hotdogs and watched the movie. For the first time since being on the beach they were finally able to just be themselves. Hand in hand, they continued their lunch till they finally finished off the last of the hot dogs. Not wanting to get up, Lilo put the plate on the floor beside the couch. She didn’t know how long they would be alone so she wanted to make the best of the time they had together. Wanting to be closer, Lilo shifted over to Stitch and cuddled up against him. He looked down at her and smiled. Stitch wrapped his arms around Lilo to hold her close, but both of them were still able to see the television.

The movie was starting to get to the scariest part, but neither one felt scared. Lilo just sighed as she fell into Stitch’s warm and fluffy fur. She could feel his chest rise with each breath he took, his arms around her made her feel more protected than she’d ever been. Stitch was hardly paying attention to the movie. The entire time he kept looking down at the girl in his arms. Never before had he felt so content than he did in that moment. He kissed the top of her head, making her nuzzle back into him in return. Nothing could ruin this moment. After half an hour passed, the movie finally finished. Lilo turned around and looked up at Stitch, she was about ask him what he wanted to do next when she felt herself being pulled closer towards him. She felt his arms around her back pulling her gently. She closed her eyes, waiting for his kiss, but it never came. They two heard the creaking of the door beginning to open. Panicked, Lilo quickly pushed herself to the other side of the couch just as a large, four-eyed alien walked in.

“Little girl! 626! There you are. I have been looking all over for you!”

“What do you need, Jumba?” Lilo asked, a little more than flustered.

“I am be needing to take a little blood from 626.” After saying so, he pulled out what looked like an injection gun with a large needle on one end from his white lab coat.

“Gaba yuuga need blood for?” Stitch became very worried.

“It’s…uh… nothing. Nothing important. Just checking up on things.” He nodded his head profusely, he didn’t want to tell them what he was worried about.

“If it’s just a check-up, couldn’t we just take Stitch to the lab to be scanned?”

“Ah, curious little girl is being correct.” Thinking on his toes, Jumba created a quick excuse, “However, it would take a long time. It better if I just be taking blood sample.”

Stitch looked to Lilo. She saw how concerned he was, and she was worried too. They could tell Jumba was hiding something.

“You promise nothing’s wrong?”

“I promise. If there was being something wrong, you would be first to know.” Jumba got down on one knee, awaiting his creation to come to him. Stitch looked to Lilo again, he saw that she was worried as well. She gave him a slight nod and he walked over to his creator.

“I am knowing you don’t like needles, but you will not feel a thing.” He was right. Stitch didn’t feel the needle going into his arm. Lilo and Stitch watched as the vial filled with magenta coloured blood. Once it was full, Jumba removed the gun from Stitch’s arm. Tucking it safely into his coat pocket and patted Stitch on the head. “Why are you so worried, 626? Nothing is being wrong.”

Jumba stood up and made his way back out of the house, before closing the door he told them that if anything came up he would let them know. The two looked at each other. They knew Jumba wouldn’t need to look at anything if all was okay like he said. Lilo didn’t want to think anything was wrong though. She went over to Stitch to put her arm around him to pet his back reassuringly.

“I’m sure nothing’s wrong. He would have told us right?”

Stitch didn’t reply, he moved towards the door and looked at it. Contemplating what he felt before. Lilo saw his worried, hunched form and didn’t really know what to do.

“Everything’s okay, right?”

Stitch turned and looked at the girl he loved. _I have to tell her._

“Nagga. Something wrong.”

“Huh?” Lilo was taken aback.

“Since yesterday. Meega feel something change. Something inside. Meega nagga nota gaba it was. Did not think it important, but now…”

“It’s probably not a coincidence is it?” Lilo looked away. _It’s like we can’t catch a break._

“Nagga coincidence…” Stitch turned around to see the sad form of his Lilo. He didn’t want to see her sad anymore. This morning was already too much sadness for his liking. He walked over to her, lifted her chin with his finger, and then gave her a kiss on the lips. After a moment, he pulled her into another hug. “No more sad today. Today be happy. We together. That matter most.” He rubbed her back soothingly. Lilo returned the hug gratefully.

“You’re right,” she said with a sniff, “we are together, and that’s all I care about.”

“Ih. Now, we go have fun?” He asked, more of a question than a statement.

Lilo nodded in agreement, “yeah. I’d like that.”

Lilo quickly packed some things from their room while Stitch ran out to start the buggy. No matter what were to happen to them, there was always one thing that made them feel better. Some fun at the beach. All packed and ready to go they drove to their golden paradise. Lilo’s long raven hair flowed freely in the wind, she could feel the warm breeze on her skin. It felt purifying to her. Stitch felt it too. All his troubles seemed to melt away the moment he and Lilo set off. During the ride, Stitch couldn’t help but steal glances at the girl next to him. _She is so beautiful. No matter what happens, I will make sure she is always happy._

Lilo could feel Stitch’s eyes on her. She blushed slightly knowing how he felt about her now. _To think, last week I would have thought it crazy to be in love with Stitch. Now it feels like the like it’s the way it was always meant to be._ She subconsciously moved her left hand over, wishing to hold Stitch’s, but knew he needed both hands to drive. Looking out at the passing scenery of trees, bushes, flowers, and animals she couldn’t help but feel at peace.

Stitch saw her hand move closer to him out of the corner of his eye. Extending one of his hidden arms, he took her hand into his own. Gasping from the sudden touch, Lilo looked over at Stitch and smiled. In reply, he squeezed her hand slightly, feeling the warmth emanating from her. Nothing in the entire galaxy could ruin this moment for him. He smiled as they continued their drive to the beach.

 

After getting the blood sample from Stitch, Jumba quickly returned to his lab in desperate need of answers. Inserting part of the sample into the computer, he saw results flood across the screen. Unable to comprehend the results he began punching in equations and variables. No matter what he did, the results continued to come back the same. Toiling in his dark lab he looked back at the bright green screen. On it was a silhouette of Stitch, to the side was the number 626, flashing with numbers crunching beneath it.

“It seems my fears are being realized.” Jumba began to rub his fours eyes as he slouched over the computer panel.

“To think, that it would be being 626, my finest creation to first reach the final program stage.”

Jumba spun around in his chair and stood up. As he moved forward, the lights in the lab sprung to life. Seeing the door at the end of the room, he made his way towards it slowly.

“Why is it that 626 alone is being affected though? Surely one of the other experiments would also be changing.”

Jumba reached the door, looking to the right of it he saw the 9 number key pad. Punching in a code he thought he never would use, the door slid open revealing a near empty room. About the size of the Pelekai houses living room, all that was held within was a red machine connected to two pods similar to the charging pod he made when Stitch had his glitch. On the side of the machine was a computer monitor, the same size and shape as his laptop, and connected to each pod was a small, round platform with a clear dome covering each of them.

“If it is not being another experiment that started this change…. Then who could it have been?” Turning on the computer monitor, Jumba froze with realization. “Oh no…Little earth girl! I must be hurrying before I am too late!”

Jumba ran to the house, hoping that Lilo and Stitch would still be there. He burst through the door calling out for them. When no reply came, he rushed to his room. Changing from his lab coat to his earth disguise, a Hawaiian print shirt and blue shorts, he picked up one of the containment pods and headed out, in search of the couple.    

 

 


	6. A Confession: Have You Ever?

Jumba stood there, utterly speechless. _Did my ears really just hear that? Little girl, in love with my greatest creation?_ Lilo was standing before him defiantly, showing that she wasn’t going to let him go no matter what. Stitch continued trying to struggle out of the capsule, but was unable to. Jumba stared deep into Lilo’s eyes as everything began to come together and make sense.

“Little girl, you have truly shown love for my little monster?”

“He isn’t a monster! Stitch is one of the best people I’ve ever met!” She screamed at the large alien. “He’s my ohana. You are too. Why are you doing this to us?”

 _Us,_ Jumba thought. He took the capsule off of his back and released Stitch, who quickly ran and pulled Lilo into a hug. Jumba took a step forward, but as he did Stitch suddenly turned to him, holding Lilo protectively against his back, ready to attack if need be.

“There will be no needing of that, 626. I am not going to be taking her. Or you, anymore, for that matter.” At the words of his creator, Stitch relaxed a little, but still didn’t let Lilo go. He held her hand, just in case something might happen. “I am very sorry you too. I did not know the entire situation.”

“Why youga try to take meega?” Stitch spat angrily.

“It was for the protection of little Earth girl.” Jumba replied sitting on the ground. He started to rub his four eyes due to stress. “Ah, what are we going to do?”

“What do you mean? Why do I need protection?” Lilo lead Stitch over to Jumba. Stitch was still weary, but was feeling better now that he knew Lilo would be safe. “Is something wrong with Stitch?”

Stitch’s stomach dropped. He didn’t think about it at first, but Jumba did lock him up to protect Lilo from something. _Am I a danger to her?_ Stitch started to pull his hand away but Lilo held on tighter. Jumba snapped his head up, looking down at the little girl holding his experiments hand. “Yes. No. Well, yes and no.” The two looked at him with their heads tilted, confused looks on their faces, but even more so they looked worried. “Do not be looking like that yet. 626, again I am sorry. I thought that, yes, you may be dangerous, not just to little girl, but to everyone. However, that is thankfully not the case. Not yet anyway.”

The two sighed in relief. Stitch’s ears perked up, knowing he wasn’t a danger made him feel a lot better. However, it seemed they weren’t entirely in the clear. “Gaba mean, nagga yet?”

Before Jumba could give an answer, Lilo piped in with passion. “Stitch would never hurt anyone. Well, at least not me. He’s been so loving all these years, even more so these last few days. He wouldn’t hurt me, he couldn’t. He couldn’t.”

Lilo dropped to the ground. _What is going on? I don’t understand._ Stitch wrapped his arm around her, holding her, hoping it would make her feel better.

“Lilo.” Hearing Jumba actually use her name made her look up. _He never calls me ‘Lilo’._ “This is very serious. I am knowing he would not hurt you. In fact, now that I am knowing the situation, it is the exact opposite. You see, 626’s final programming stage has been activated. It seems it’s been it has been activated by you. If we do not hurry, there will be nothing that can stop him from possibly killing everyone around.”

Lilo looked at Stitch, never before had she seen him so devastated. She brought a hand up to his and squeezed it tenderly, but it had no effect. “What’s his final programming stage?”

Jumba stood up and started walking towards the buggy. “I will be explaining in lab. Please you two. Come with me. I am not knowing what could happen if we wait around.”

The two looked at each other and nodded. _We can’t let that happen,_ they both thought. They followed Jumba to the buggy and let him drive them to his hidden spaceship. Rather than staying in the main lab room as they always had, Jumba led them to a door at the end of the lab. When the couple entered, they were awestruck by the machine before them. It didn’t look like the regular alien technology they usually encountered.

“What is this, Jumba?”

“This is machine of my own invention. I made it after I began creating experiment 001.”

“When you made Shrink? What does it do?”

Jumba led them to the computer console on the machine’s side, “In a matter of words, it completes my experiments.”

“Complete?” The two said together.

“Let me start from the beginning. Sit down.”

The couple sat on the floor together, holding hands, waiting for Jumba to begin.

“You see. When I started designing my first experiments, I realized that they were living creatures. Sure, I design and program them, but they are not being machines. They have senses. They breath, they eat, and they live. A big part of life, however, is love.” Jumba motioned towards the two of them, causing the couple to blush. “But love gets in the way of my programming. If they love, they do not cause mayhem and chaos. So what is an evil genius to do? Here I was, creating life, so I could not get rid of this basic living desire. Then I was struck with stroke of brilliance, I give them free will, but I alter their programming. I alter it, so that they do not fall permanently in love, until they receive true love in return. You see, when this final programming stage is complete, their initial destructive tendencies are lost forever. This way, they are far more destructive initially.”

“But then why were we able to turn them all good?”

“Free will, little earth girl. I never thought it possible, but in showing them the good they can do, they all chose for themselves to be good. Even I, super-evil-genius, has found good to be better than evil. It is an amazing gift you have. To be able to bring the good out in everyone you meet. To love unconditionally. To love, even a monster.” Stitch wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, causing her to smile. “Anyway. That is the final programming stage. Love, true permanent love.”

“That sounds great! So why were you so worried?”

“I put in certain details about the unlocking of final stage. Firstly, it can only happen when true love is shown on both sides. I saw the activation and was being very confused as to why it was 626 alone. That is, until you told me you loved him. Secondly, as the final program takes place the experiment becomes extremely protective over loved one. They will be driven to do anything they need to in order to protect. That is what I am afraid of. 626 is my greatest creation! In order to protect you, what would he do?”

“Meega, do anything.” Stitch looked down out of shame.

“Exactly. That is the danger. As programming progresses that need will increase. Constantly, until one of two things are done. Either, little girl stops loving 626.”

“That will not happen.” Lilo interjected.

“Are you being sure?”

“Yes. Since before Stitch told me he loved me, I realized something. These feelings have been growing, ever since we met. Nothing can separate me from him.”

“Then the only other option is to finalize the programming. This machine here is what I made for all of my experiments. When final programming is activated, my computer is notified. I would then be able to seek out my experiments, and finalize the program.” He said as he gestured to the mysterious machine.

“What does it do?”

“Basically, it locks the bond into their genetic code, and deletes the need to overprotect. In hind sight, I only made that function to cause a tiny bit more destruction, it was very silly. Anyway, I wished for my experiments to only truly love one being, for their whole life. So, I created this function of bonding.”

“Then why didn’t this happen with Stitch and Angel?” Lilo looked to Stitch, hoping he would have an answer.

“Meega nagga nota.” He replied, shaking his head.

“But I do. Little girl, Lilo, it is because of you. 626 has been with you for almost as long as he has been alive. You said that you had these feelings growing since you met, my guess would be that so has he. 626 and 624 were not truly in love, because 626 loved you. That is why their programming did not activate. Back to my evil-genius creation. As I said, it locks in the special bond down to the genetic code. There is no more danger, and the couple gets to live forever in love.”

Lilo stood up, determined, knowing what she had to do. “Then use the machine with me and Stitch!”

“What?!” Jumba shouted. “It was not designed to be used on humans. Only experiments, we cannot do it.”

“But it’s the only way to make Stitch better, and it will be better for us that way. I want to be with Stitch forever, and this is the best way to do that.”

“You are telling the truth, Lilo.”

“Wait!” Stitch shouted while standing up, surprising the other two. “Gaba happen to Lilo if weega do this.”

“Well, to be honest. I don’t know. I never designed for humans, only experiments. It could work exactly the same, or there could be side effects, or it could be a lot worse.”

“Worse?” the two said in unison once again.

“Could result in injury… or death.”

The reality of the situation sank in. Either they risk Lilo’s life, or they risk Stitch hurting everyone around them. Both knew what they wanted to do, and at the same time, they made their own declarations.

“We do it.” Said Lilo.

“Weega can’t do it.” Said Stitch.

Lilo turned to Stitch, completely heartbroken, grabbing his hands. “Stitch! We need to do this. I don’t want you to be forced to hurt anyone.”

“And meega can’t risk youga, Lilo.” Stitch looked deeply in her beautiful chocolate eyes. “Nothing, is worth getting youga killed. Especially not for meega.”

“If it means that you will be okay though, I’ll risk anything.” Stitch only shook his head. Before Lilo could argue further, he turned to his creator.

“Jumba make safe for Lilo?”

“I suppose I can try. She is not experiment, no way to 100 percent guarantee safety, but being the evil-genius that I am, I am sure I can put something together.” Jumba said while scratching the back of his head.

“How long will it take you?” Lilo asked.

“Be giving me three days. By then, it should be ready. Or at least, as ready as it will ever be.”

“Will Stitch be okay, in those three days?”

Jumba couldn’t give an answer. Lilo knew right then and there that three days would be too long. With his strength and abilities, everyone around her could be in danger. Lilo looked over at Stitch and saw now only worry, but guilt. It pained her heart to see him like that. The only time she had ever seen him like this was when he had hurt her during his glitch. She had known him for years, and she knew what he would want to do. As if reading her mind, Stitch stepped forward.

“Jumba, lock me in a containment pod.”

Lilo grabbed his hand and pulled him back to her pleadingly. “Stitch, no.”

“Isa for best.”

“It’s not for the best. For the best would be to use the machine right now, but we can make it through these three days together. I’m sure of it.”

“Evil-genius is thinking it would not help anyway. Nothing I have here could possibly be holding 626 if he believe little earth girl in danger.

“Then dehydrate me.”

“I am unable to do that as well. I designed you so as nothing could be stopping you. I never intended for you to be transported, therefore, you are not able to be dehydrated like the other experiments. No, the only way is for you two to try and stay away from anyone.”

“We can’t do that. Only you and Victoria know about our relationship. If Nani or anyone were to find out, they would try to separate us.”

 _No one can take my Lilo from me._ Stitch thought with pure hatred. Realizing what he just thought and felt, he became scared. Scared of himself. He looked down at his claws, it never occurred to him how sharp they were. He could cut through just about anything. Any human would be nothing to them. He started backing away from the others. He didn’t want to know what he would do, he couldn’t hurt Lilo, but his creator was another story. _Jumba isn’t safe_ , Stitch thought. Lilo noticed Stitch moving away from them, turning to look at him she saw him cowering away.

“Stitch?”

Stitch’s head shot straight up at Lilo’s voice. “Meega soka. Meega nagga safe.” Stitch turned and bolted out of the room. Lilo called after him, but he didn’t stop. As much as it hurt him to be away from her, at least he wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone around her. His instincts told him to go back, that he couldn’t be away from her, that running was wrong, but he fought the feeling the best he could. He just ran and ran. Letting his body take him wherever it could. _As long as everyone is safe, that is what matters._

Lilo saw him run. “Stitch!” She continued to call out to him but he didn’t stop. Lilo’s stomach sank. “I have to go after him, Jumba. You start on the machine, you come get us when it’s ready. I have to stop him before he hurts himself.”

“Okay. When you get a chance, grab one of Pleakley’s communication devices. I can contact you from here on it.”

Lilo gave him her thanks and a hug, and then ran off after Stitch. No matter what, she had to reach him, she had to be with him. It tore at her to think she might lose Stitch. She looked for him everywhere she could. She thought he might be in their tree house, but found it empty. The house was too, except for her big sister, who Lilo ran into coming out of the kitchen, knocking her to the ground. Getting up and rubbing her wrist from the fall, Lilo continued looking around for Stitch.

“Lilo! What did I tell you about running in the house, and why weren’t you here for dinner?” Before continuing to grill her sister for answers, Nani saw the frantic look on Lilo’s eyes. “Is everything okay, Lilo? You look worried.”

“Huh?” Lilo turned to her, panicked. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Have you seen Stitch anywhere?”

Nani didn’t believe her little sister. She got down on one knee and put her hand on Lilo’s shoulder, hoping it would calm her down. “No I haven’t. What’s going on, Lilo?”

“Umm.” She knew she couldn’t tell Nani what was really happening, but she was stuck now. Nani wouldn’t just let her go until she came clean. She looked into her sister’s eyes, trying to think of something that wasn’t about her being in love with a genetic experiment. “Stitch and I were playing, but I can’t find him. It’s been a long time and now I’m getting worried.”

Nani stared at Lilo for a moment, deciding whether she was telling the truth or not. “Well, is there anywhere you haven’t looked? Some place only you two ever go together?”

“Only us…” Realization dawned on Lilo’s face. “Thank you, Nani. I think I know where he is.”

Before Nani could say anything, Lilo was out the door. _Please be there. Please, Stitch, I need you with me._

Meanwhile, Stitch was sitting in darkness. He didn’t know why his legs brought him to his and Lilo’s secret spot, but he couldn’t leave. Looking around him he saw nothing had changed since his last visit with Lilo. There were so many trees in this part of the forest that you wouldn’t know there was a clear round patch, similar in size to their dome room, right in the middle. The canopies of the trees let in a bit of light, creating a pattern of shadows on the ground that moved with each breeze. In their times visiting, they dug up the ground underneath some of the trees, making a perfect shelter they could crawl into if it ever started to rain. Aside from climbing out the top, the only way in to the clearing was by squeezing between two trees that were on the opposite side of the ring, away from the paths. It was the prefect, little tranquil heaven for them. A place where they can be alone and play to their hearts content. It wasn’t very far into the forest either. The two would come here whenever they were sad or wanted to be alone.

 _These trees can’t stop me. At least I can try to control myself here once the urges become worse._ Stitch paced around the hidden spot. He had never been in his and Lilo’s secret spot alone before. It was still calming and comforting, but he could feel the absence of Lilo all around him. He plopped on the ground and laid back staring up into the trees. Every fiber of his being told him to go look for the one he loved, but he was too scared about hurting someone to do it. _I stay here. I stay here for as long as I need to._  


	7. Final Program Stage

Jumba stood there, utterly speechless. _Did my ears really just hear that? Little girl, in love with my greatest creation?_ Lilo was standing before him defiantly, showing that she wasn’t going to let him go no matter what. Stitch continued trying to struggle out of the capsule, but was unable to. Jumba stared deep into Lilo’s eyes as everything began to come together and make sense.

“Little girl, you have truly shown love for my little monster?”

“He isn’t a monster! Stitch is one of the best people I’ve ever met!” She screamed at the large alien. “He’s my ohana. You are too. Why are you doing this to us?”

 _Us,_ Jumba thought. He took the capsule off of his back and released Stitch, who quickly ran and pulled Lilo into a hug. Jumba took a step forward, but as he did Stitch suddenly turned to him, holding Lilo protectively against his back, ready to attack if need be.

“There will be no needing of that, 626. I am not going to be taking her. Or you, anymore, for that matter.” At the words of his creator, Stitch relaxed a little, but still didn’t let Lilo go. He held her hand, just in case something might happen. “I am very sorry you too. I did not know the entire situation.”

“Why youga try to take meega?” Stitch spat angrily.

“It was for the protection of little Earth girl.” Jumba replied sitting on the ground. He started to rub his four eyes due to stress. “Ah, what are we going to do?”

“What do you mean? Why do I need protection?” Lilo lead Stitch over to Jumba. Stitch was still weary, but was feeling better now that he knew Lilo would be safe. “Is something wrong with Stitch?”

Stitch’s stomach dropped. He didn’t think about it at first, but Jumba did lock him up to protect Lilo from something. _Am I a danger to her?_ Stitch started to pull his hand away but Lilo held on tighter. Jumba snapped his head up, looking down at the little girl holding his experiments hand. “Yes. No. Well, yes and no.” The two looked at him with their heads tilted, confused looks on their faces, but even more so they looked worried. “Do not be looking like that yet. 626, again I am sorry. I thought that, yes, you may be dangerous, not just to little girl, but to everyone. However, that is thankfully not the case. Not yet anyway.”

The two sighed in relief. Stitch’s ears perked up, knowing he wasn’t a danger made him feel a lot better. However, it seemed they weren’t entirely in the clear. “Gaba mean, nagga yet?”

Before Jumba could give an answer, Lilo piped in with passion. “Stitch would never hurt anyone. Well, at least not me. He’s been so loving all these years, even more so these last few days. He wouldn’t hurt me, he couldn’t. He couldn’t.”

Lilo dropped to the ground. _What is going on? I don’t understand._ Stitch wrapped his arm around her, holding her, hoping it would make her feel better.

“Lilo.” Hearing Jumba actually use her name made her look up. _He never calls me ‘Lilo’._ “This is very serious. I am knowing he would not hurt you. In fact, now that I am knowing the situation, it is the exact opposite. You see, 626’s final programming stage has been activated. It seems it’s been it has been activated by you. If we do not hurry, there will be nothing that can stop him from possibly killing everyone around.”

Lilo looked at Stitch, never before had she seen him so devastated. She brought a hand up to his and squeezed it tenderly, but it had no effect. “What’s his final programming stage?”

Jumba stood up and started walking towards the buggy. “I will be explaining in lab. Please you two. Come with me. I am not knowing what could happen if we wait around.”

The two looked at each other and nodded. _We can’t let that happen,_ they both thought. They followed Jumba to the buggy and let him drive them to his hidden spaceship. Rather than staying in the main lab room as they always had, Jumba led them to a door at the end of the lab. When the couple entered, they were awestruck by the machine before them. It didn’t look like the regular alien technology they usually encountered.

“What is this, Jumba?”

“This is machine of my own invention. I made it after I began creating experiment 001.”

“When you made Shrink? What does it do?”

Jumba led them to the computer console on the machine’s side, “In a matter of words, it completes my experiments.”

“Complete?” The two said together.

“Let me start from the beginning. Sit down.”

The couple sat on the floor together, holding hands, waiting for Jumba to begin.

“You see. When I started designing my first experiments, I realized that they were living creatures. Sure, I design and program them, but they are not being machines. They have senses. They breath, they eat, and they live. A big part of life, however, is love.” Jumba motioned towards the two of them, causing the couple to blush. “But love gets in the way of my programming. If they love, they do not cause mayhem and chaos. So what is an evil genius to do? Here I was, creating life, so I could not get rid of this basic living desire. Then I was struck with stroke of brilliance, I give them free will, but I alter their programming. I alter it, so that they do not fall permanently in love, until they receive true love in return. You see, when this final programming stage is complete, their initial destructive tendencies are lost forever. This way, they are far more destructive initially.”

“But then why were we able to turn them all good?”

“Free will, little earth girl. I never thought it possible, but in showing them the good they can do, they all chose for themselves to be good. Even I, super-evil-genius, has found good to be better than evil. It is an amazing gift you have. To be able to bring the good out in everyone you meet. To love unconditionally. To love, even a monster.” Stitch wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, causing her to smile. “Anyway. That is the final programming stage. Love, true permanent love.”

“That sounds great! So why were you so worried?”

“I put in certain details about the unlocking of final stage. Firstly, it can only happen when true love is shown on both sides. I saw the activation and was being very confused as to why it was 626 alone. That is, until you told me you loved him. Secondly, as the final program takes place the experiment becomes extremely protective over loved one. They will be driven to do anything they need to in order to protect. That is what I am afraid of. 626 is my greatest creation! In order to protect you, what would he do?”

“Meega, do anything.” Stitch looked down out of shame.

“Exactly. That is the danger. As programming progresses that need will increase. Constantly, until one of two things are done. Either, little girl stops loving 626.”

“That will not happen.” Lilo interjected.

“Are you being sure?”

“Yes. Since before Stitch told me he loved me, I realized something. These feelings have been growing, ever since we met. Nothing can separate me from him.”

“Then the only other option is to finalize the programming. This machine here is what I made for all of my experiments. When final programming is activated, my computer is notified. I would then be able to seek out my experiments, and finalize the program.” He said as he gestured to the mysterious machine.

“What does it do?”

“Basically, it locks the bond into their genetic code, and deletes the need to overprotect. In hind sight, I only made that function to cause a tiny bit more destruction, it was very silly. Anyway, I wished for my experiments to only truly love one being, for their whole life. So, I created this function of bonding.”

“Then why didn’t this happen with Stitch and Angel?” Lilo looked to Stitch, hoping he would have an answer.

“Meega nagga nota.” He replied, shaking his head.

“But I do. Little girl, Lilo, it is because of you. 626 has been with you for almost as long as he has been alive. You said that you had these feelings growing since you met, my guess would be that so has he. 626 and 624 were not truly in love, because 626 loved you. That is why their programming did not activate. Back to my evil-genius creation. As I said, it locks in the special bond down to the genetic code. There is no more danger, and the couple gets to live forever in love.”

Lilo stood up, determined, knowing what she had to do. “Then use the machine with me and Stitch!”

“What?!” Jumba shouted. “It was not designed to be used on humans. Only experiments, we cannot do it.”

“But it’s the only way to make Stitch better, and it will be better for us that way. I want to be with Stitch forever, and this is the best way to do that.”

“You are telling the truth, Lilo.”

“Wait!” Stitch shouted while standing up, surprising the other two. “Gaba happen to Lilo if weega do this.”

“Well, to be honest. I don’t know. I never designed for humans, only experiments. It could work exactly the same, or there could be side effects, or it could be a lot worse.”

“Worse?” the two said in unison once again.

“Could result in injury… or death.”

The reality of the situation sank in. Either they risk Lilo’s life, or they risk Stitch hurting everyone around them. Both knew what they wanted to do, and at the same time, they made their own declarations.

“We do it.” Said Lilo.

“Weega can’t do it.” Said Stitch.

Lilo turned to Stitch, completely heartbroken, grabbing his hands. “Stitch! We need to do this. I don’t want you to be forced to hurt anyone.”

“And meega can’t risk youga, Lilo.” Stitch looked deeply in her beautiful chocolate eyes. “Nothing, is worth getting youga killed. Especially not for meega.”

“If it means that you will be okay though, I’ll risk anything.” Stitch only shook his head. Before Lilo could argue further, he turned to his creator.

“Jumba make safe for Lilo?”

“I suppose I can try. She is not experiment, no way to 100 percent guarantee safety, but being the evil-genius that I am, I am sure I can put something together.” Jumba said while scratching the back of his head.

“How long will it take you?” Lilo asked.

“Be giving me three days. By then, it should be ready. Or at least, as ready as it will ever be.”

“Will Stitch be okay, in those three days?”

Jumba couldn’t give an answer. Lilo knew right then and there that three days would be too long. With his strength and abilities, everyone around her could be in danger. Lilo looked over at Stitch and saw now only worry, but guilt. It pained her heart to see him like that. The only time she had ever seen him like this was when he had hurt her during his glitch. She had known him for years, and she knew what he would want to do. As if reading her mind, Stitch stepped forward.

“Jumba, lock me in a containment pod.”

Lilo grabbed his hand and pulled him back to her pleadingly. “Stitch, no.”

“Isa for best.”

“It’s not for the best. For the best would be to use the machine right now, but we can make it through these three days together. I’m sure of it.”

“Evil-genius is thinking it would not help anyway. Nothing I have here could possibly be holding 626 if he believe little earth girl in danger.

“Then dehydrate me.”

“I am unable to do that as well. I designed you so as nothing could be stopping you. I never intended for you to be transported, therefore, you are not able to be dehydrated like the other experiments. No, the only way is for you two to try and stay away from anyone.”

“We can’t do that. Only you and Victoria know about our relationship. If Nani or anyone were to find out, they would try to separate us.”

 _No one can take my Lilo from me._ Stitch thought with pure hatred. Realizing what he just thought and felt, he became scared. Scared of himself. He looked down at his claws, it never occurred to him how sharp they were. He could cut through just about anything. Any human would be nothing to them. He started backing away from the others. He didn’t want to know what he would do, he couldn’t hurt Lilo, but his creator was another story. _Jumba isn’t safe_ , Stitch thought. Lilo noticed Stitch moving away from them, turning to look at him she saw him cowering away.

“Stitch?”

Stitch’s head shot straight up at Lilo’s voice. “Meega soka. Meega nagga safe.” Stitch turned and bolted out of the room. Lilo called after him, but he didn’t stop. As much as it hurt him to be away from her, at least he wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone around her. His instincts told him to go back, that he couldn’t be away from her, that running was wrong, but he fought the feeling the best he could. He just ran and ran. Letting his body take him wherever it could. _As long as everyone is safe, that is what matters._

Lilo saw him run. “Stitch!” She continued to call out to him but he didn’t stop. Lilo’s stomach sank. “I have to go after him, Jumba. You start on the machine, you come get us when it’s ready. I have to stop him before he hurts himself.”

“Okay. When you get a chance, grab one of Pleakley’s communication devices. I can contact you from here on it.”

Lilo gave him her thanks and a hug, and then ran off after Stitch. No matter what, she had to reach him, she had to be with him. It tore at her to think she might lose Stitch. She looked for him everywhere she could. She thought he might be in their tree house, but found it empty. The house was too, except for her big sister, who Lilo ran into coming out of the kitchen, knocking her to the ground. Getting up and rubbing her wrist from the fall, Lilo continued looking around for Stitch.

“Lilo! What did I tell you about running in the house, and why weren’t you here for dinner?” Before continuing to grill her sister for answers, Nani saw the frantic look on Lilo’s eyes. “Is everything okay, Lilo? You look worried.”

“Huh?” Lilo turned to her, panicked. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Have you seen Stitch anywhere?”

Nani didn’t believe her little sister. She got down on one knee and put her hand on Lilo’s shoulder, hoping it would calm her down. “No I haven’t. What’s going on, Lilo?”

“Umm.” She knew she couldn’t tell Nani what was really happening, but she was stuck now. Nani wouldn’t just let her go until she came clean. She looked into her sister’s eyes, trying to think of something that wasn’t about her being in love with a genetic experiment. “Stitch and I were playing, but I can’t find him. It’s been a long time and now I’m getting worried.”

Nani stared at Lilo for a moment, deciding whether she was telling the truth or not. “Well, is there anywhere you haven’t looked? Some place only you two ever go together?”

“Only us…” Realization dawned on Lilo’s face. “Thank you, Nani. I think I know where he is.”

Before Nani could say anything, Lilo was out the door. _Please be there. Please, Stitch, I need you with me._

Meanwhile, Stitch was sitting in darkness. He didn’t know why his legs brought him to his and Lilo’s secret spot, but he couldn’t leave. Looking around him he saw nothing had changed since his last visit with Lilo. There were so many trees in this part of the forest that you wouldn’t know there was a clear round patch, similar in size to their dome room, right in the middle. The canopies of the trees let in a bit of light, creating a pattern of shadows on the ground that moved with each breeze. In their times visiting, they dug up the ground underneath some of the trees, making a perfect shelter they could crawl into if it ever started to rain. Aside from climbing out the top, the only way in to the clearing was by squeezing between two trees that were on the opposite side of the ring, away from the paths. It was the prefect, little tranquil heaven for them. A place where they can be alone and play to their hearts content. It wasn’t very far into the forest either. The two would come here whenever they were sad or wanted to be alone.

 _These trees can’t stop me. At least I can try to control myself here once the urges become worse._ Stitch paced around the hidden spot. He had never been in his and Lilo’s secret spot alone before. It was still calming and comforting, but he could feel the absence of Lilo all around him. He plopped on the ground and laid back staring up into the trees. Every fiber of his being told him to go look for the one he loved, but he was too scared about hurting someone to do it. _I stay here. I stay here for as long as I need to._  


	8. Together

Stitch slowly opened his eyes, with a slight shiver he sat up rubbing his eyes. “Uh, fooboo.” He looked around, confused as to why he was in the forest, rather than his own bed at home.

“Oh, that’s right.” Stitch said as he remembered the events that happened earlier. He scuttled back against one of the trees and hugged his legs tightly to his chest. He didn’t know how much time had passed, but considering the growing darkness, the sun must be setting, if it already didn’t. Every single time he closed his eyes or blinked, he imagined pouncing on Jumba, ready to tear him limb from limb before taking Lilo away to keep her safe. _I really am a monster._

Never before had their secret place been so dark. It was like an ink that grew and consumed everything around him. Despite this, the entire forest was filled with life. His advanced hearing allowed him to track each sound made by the hundreds of animals and insects around. Stitch had never been so scared, not even when being close to drowning in water. With each uncontrolled twitch of his ears, he would feel his heart skip in fear, never knowing when he might suddenly destroy everything around him in order get to Lilo.

“Must keep control.”

“Must not destroy.”

“Need to keep Lilo safe.”

“From meega.”

Stitch continued to mutter to himself, his hollow words helping little to calm him down in the never ending sea of noise. Suddenly, a loud truck horn beeped through the night, causing Stitch to jump up and gasp. Sitting back down, he began rocking back and forth, kind words from years ago filling his head.

_“Whenever I get scared, I just sing this.”_

Imagining Lilo sitting there sitting with him singing as she played her ukulele, Stitch sang along. Rocking back and forth the soft song melted his fears away.

“Aloha `oe, aloha `oe  
E ke onaona noho i ka lipo  
One fond embrace,  
A ho`i a`e au”

“Until we meet again” Lilo sang, as she appeared from the secret entrance.

Stitch looked up in surprise, his heart fluttering as he saw Lilo, the soft light made her skin glow. He started to move forward, wanting nothing more than to hold her, but froze in place when he remembered why he was alone in the first place. Lilo ran towards him with her arms out, but stopped as sadness took over, Stitch quickly turned and scurried up the tree, higher than she could ever hope to reach.

“Aggaba. Lilo can’t be here.”

“Why not, Stitch?”

“Stitch not safe.”

Lilo flopped on the ground, crossing her arms, defiantly. “You are not dangerous.”

“Meega am!” Stitch shouted as he leapt from the tree, landing safely in front of Lilo. “Youga need to stay away. Until Jumba fix machine.”

“I can’t leave you here for three days, Stitch.”

“Please?” Lilo hesitated for a second. Stitch had clasped his hands together, begging for her to follow his wishes. It wouldn’t work though, on the way there, Lilo decided that nothing was going to separate them again. _Time and time again, someone or something tries to tear us apart. Not this time. Not now, not ever._ Stitch saw her move and became hopeful that she was getting up to leave, but instead saw her turn around, keeping her arms crossed.

“No. If you want me to leave you will have to carry me out.”

With a huff, Stitch sat down as well, crossing his arms in mimic of Lilo. “If youga want to stay then stay.”

“I will.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

The two sat in the ever creeping darkness. Neither one was willing to give in to the other. Stitch had to stay away until Jumba was ready so that he wouldn’t hurt anyone. Lilo had to stay because Stitch needed her more than he would admit, and she needed him more than anything. Completely stubborn, neither one said anything to the other for several minutes. Sitting back-to-back, Lilo could feel Stitch’s warm fur against her. Without realizing it, she moved herself closer to Stitch to feel his warmth. She wasn’t like Stitch, who had fur to keep warm, and the cold night air was making her start to shiver.

Stitch could feel her press up against him, he loved to feel her touch. _Need to keep control. Not safe._ Lilo began shivering and Stitch could feel every movement she made.

_She’s too persistent._

_He’s too stubborn._

As time passed it started to cool down more and more. The dirt ground absorbed any warmth that Lilo had, and the trees blocked out any warm light that might come, even through the night. Stitch felt guilty about Lilo being here with him. _If she would go home she wouldn’t be cold. If I wasn’t a problem, we wouldn’t be here._

“Meega soka.” Stitch mumbled, not realizing he was starting to think out loud.

Lilo barely heard what Stitch had said, but she knew he wasn’t apologizing for them being out at night in the cold. “Why are you sorry?”

They continued looking away from each other, neither one believed they were in the wrong. Truthfully, neither one was mad, but they still believed that they had to do this for the other. Stitch hesitated, he cursed himself for letting her hear that.

“Meega soka for being dangerous.”

“You’re not dangerous, Stitch.”

“Meega am. Everyone but youga isa nagga safe. Meega could tear everything apart.”

“I know you won’t, though. Stitch, you’re the most caring person I know. You would never hurt anyone.”

Stitch looked down at his claws. “Meega feel it.”

“Huh?”

“In lab. Youga mentioned us being separated. Meega felt so angry, nagga feel like that before. Meega felt like taking youga away, destroy anything in path. Meega feel it growing.”

Lilo didn’t say anything for a moment, she couldn’t. All she could do was look down, she finally understood why Stitch ran off. “But you didn’t.”

“Nagga, but nagga nota how long meega stay in control.” Stitch shuddered suddenly. Lilo was on her knees, leaning over him with her arms crossed over his shoulders, holding him as tightly as she could. Her head lay softly on his head as she snuggled into his fur with a kiss. A simple kiss that spoke more words of comfort than Lilo would ever need to say. The canopies of the surrounding trees began letting in the soft moon light, shining down on the couples embrace.

“Lilo…”

“You don’t need to go through this on your own, silly. We have been together for a long time, maybe not together-together, but we might as well have been. Time and time again, we have faced danger and uncertainty. We made it through it every time, as long as we’re together we can do anything. This is no different. You don’t need to control yourself, I will help you. I will help you, because I love you, boojiboo.”

Lilo’s words penetrated the last of Stitch’s fear and worry. She could feel him lean back into her as he grabbed her hands. “Takka, boojiboo.”

Lilo was beaming. She had her Stitch back with her, no matter what challenge would come their way, they would face it together. Stitch turned around and wrapped his arms around Lilo, slowly pulling her close. “Youga said youga enjoy this right?”

Lilo still had the smile on her face, not entirely registering Stitch’s words. “E-enjoy what?”

She didn’t get an answer, instead she felt Stitch’s lips glide along her neck, sending shivers down her spine. Stitch continued kissing her neck, slowly moving down to her shoulder, then back up to her cheek. Each peck made her heart quicken, and she could feel her cheeks grow red from his touch. Stitch continued to explore Lilo’s neck as he felt her hand reach up behind his ear. He purred from the petting she was giving him, the dog DNA in his genetics enjoying every bit of the attention. Soon, his lips finally made his way to hers as they closed their eyes to enjoy the forbidden embrace in their own private area of the forest. Losing all sense of time, it felt to them like they had been holding each other for hours, but neither stopped as their lips danced together. There was seldom time when they got to be alone, and this was the one true place they would never be disturbed. Stitch softly laid the two of them on the ground, never once moving away from Lilo. His breath quickened as Lilo scratched all the sensitive parts of his ear. Lilo continued to shiver, from both the cold and the experiment that lit a fire in her heart. Stitch cuddled close to her, letting his warm fur be used as a blanket to keep the love of his life warm. The two slowed down their kiss, letting themselves enjoy the moment. For this first time since their first kiss, they didn’t need to worry about being caught. Together, they held each other in the moon light, enjoying the sound of the trees sway in the cool island breeze. The darkness that seemed to fill the enclosed area had completely dissipated, leaving behind a white glow from the moon above them.

“Soka.”

“What for? That felt amazing.” Lilo could still feel the wave of emotions course through her.

“Meega soka for running away.”

“It’s okay, Stitch. I understand why you did it.” She gave him a kiss on the nose, bringing a larger smile to his face. “Just promise not to do it again.”

“Meega promise. Weega do together.”

“That’s right.”

Soon after, Lilo and Stitch made their way home. It was a long way through the forests, so Stitch had carried her with his extra arms, allowing him to run as fast as he could. It took a while to get used to it, but Lilo enjoyed the thrill as the forests swept past her. _It’s like flying,_ she had thought more than once, as Stitch would need to jump over fallen trees and rocks.

Nani was furious at the two, not only were they out way past their bed time, but they were absolutely filthy. Even though they tried to sneak in, a trail of footprints quickly lead the older sister to the two in the hall. She ordered them to clean up and go to bed immediately, but first gave Lilo a hug. Truthfully, she was glad Lilo had found Stitch, she was extremely worried by Lilo’s frantic eyes. Now something else had taken its place, but she didn’t pay any mind to it.

After another, slightly less awkward bath, the two were finally in their warm room. Missing the outdoors, Lilo let half of the dome open up into a clear round window.

“There, now it’s like we never left.”

“Lift locked?”

“Yep. Tomorrow’s Saturday, or I guess I should say, today is Saturday. So we should be allowed to sleep as long as we like.”

“Meega like that.”

“I do too.” Lilo crawled into bed, wearing her usual long night gown. She looked over at Stitch as he sat on the floor, looking up at the stars. “Are you still worried?”

“Ih, but with youga, meega not worry as much.”

“Do you want to sleep with me again tonight?”

“More than anything.”

Lilo scuttled over to make room for Stitch, happy that they could continue where they left off in the morning, before they were interrupted. She cuddled into his warm fur, feeling like it was the one place she belonged. She giggled to herself. _All these years I’ve been wondering where all of Stitch’s cousins belonged, I never even thought about myself._ Stitch gave her a kiss on her forehead, letting the smell of her coconut shampoo fill his nose. Her giggling peaked his curiosity.

“Gaba youga thinking about?”

“Oh, nothing.” Lilo said as she snuggled closer, letting her hand glide through his blue fur like the ocean. He wrapped his arm around her waist tighter in response. “Do you think the machine will affect me the same way as you?”

“Gaba youga mean?”

“I mean, like how you’ll never be able to fall in love with anyone else. How it’ll be in your genetics to always love me, forever. Do you think it will make it so I can only love you?”

“Naga nota. Isa too soon?”

“No, no, no. I would actually like it that way.”

Stitch looked up at the stars. Contemplating its vastness. Full of galaxies, planets, and people. Not even including the rest of Earth, Hawaii was filled with more people than he could care to count. _There could be someone else out there she is meant to be with. I was just lucky to land here, a one in a million chance. If I hadn’t been created, would she be with someone else?_ Anger began to fill Stitch again, he could feel it swell up inside at the thought of someone, other than him, being with Lilo. _No. Need to keep control. What ifs don’t matter, what matters is that I am here, and I am with Lilo._ To help keep control he clutched at her night gown, making sure she wouldn’t go anywhere. Lilo could feel the fabric move beneath his fingers and smiled.

“You know, Stitch. I never felt like I belonged anywhere. After my parent’s died and my friends started being mean to me, it felt like there was nowhere for me to go. No place I could fit in. My mom always understood how I worked. Nani understood too, but she had to take so much responsibility at once, it was hard for us to be sisters like we used to. So, even at home it was hard to fit in. I didn’t realize it at first, but when I found you, I found my one true place. That’s why I wouldn’t mind if Jumba changed my genetics, it wouldn’t actually change anything. Being with you, loving you, is my one true place already.”

 _I’m such a fool._ Stitch thought. _I am in love with Lilo, and she is in love with me. Nothing, and no one can change that._ “Meega love you, Lilo.”

When he didn’t hear a reply, he opened his eyes to see Lilo had already fallen asleep. Her slow warm breath moving his fur ever so slightly. With a smile, he kissed her forehead lightly, letting his lips rest there for a moment. ”Jhua tehrqua, boojiboo.”

Stitch looked back up at the stars again, as he allowed his eyes to close slowly. _This is my one true place too._

 

The couple slept in longer than usual. Only Nani had tried to wake them once, but decided it best to let them sleep after she found the lift locked.

“They deserve some rest. Something must have happened yesterday.”

By the time Lilo had awoken, it was already past noon, she turned over and found that the bed was empty of her blue love. She looked around the dome and couldn’t find him anywhere. Even the dome was closed again, before she could get up and start panicking, she heard the whirring of the elevator.

“Boojiboo! Meega make lunch.” Stitch appeared from the hole in floor, carrying a tray full plates of food. One had two large slices of coconut cake, and the other had a hero sub sandwich cut into two triangles.

“Oh wow, lunch in bed? You are being quite the gentleman.” Lilo said dreamily.

“Meega thought youga might be hungry.” Stitch placed the tray on the bed and sat cross legged like Lilo did.

“Yeah, I’m starving. Thank you.”

Lilo took one half of her sandwich and took a large bite. “Wow. This is delicious. I don’t think Reuben could even make one this good.” Lilo had already finished half of her sandwich before Stitch even picked up his plate.

“Meega glad youga like it. Meega get better at cooking.”

“No kidding. So, did you want to go see Angel today?”

“Ih. Meega want to thank her.”

“I thought you might. Before we go, I need to grab one of Pleakley’s communicators.”

“Oketaka.” Stitch took his plate and threw both of the large pieces of cake in his mouth, gobbling down them without chewing, causing Lilo to giggle. _You are too cute._ She took the last bite of her sandwich and directed Stitch to take them to the kitchen, while she got changed and went to get the communicator.

Dressed in a light green muumuu, Lilo went up to the shared room of Jumba and Pleakley’s. Lilo knocked on the door, but didn’t get an answer, so with a shrug she entered anyway and found Pleakley modeling a new outfit in front of the mirror. She stood in shock, seeing the noodle alien wearing a long low cut red dress with a wig of long black hair, and three gold bangles hanging off of each wrist. He was just staring at himself, but then he started shaking his hips and dancing to music that was not playing, making Lilo a little more than embarrassed to be there. Turning slightly in the mirror, Pleakley saw the little girl and jumped with a gasp as he turned around in surprise, slightly skewing his wig.

“O-oh, L-lilo. Ho-how long have you been there?” He said nervously as he fixed the black wig on his head.

“Longer than I would have liked…”

“Oh.” He leaned against a nearby chair, hoping to play off that he wasn’t embarrassed. “So, what can I help you with?”

“I need to borrow one of your communicators.”

“A communicator? What in heaven’s for?”

Lilo titled her head to the side, trying to think of an excuse that even Pleakley could believe. “Cell phones are all the rage these days, but we can’t afford to get me one. So I wanted to use one of the communicators to fit in better.”

The tall alien looked at the little girl, for a moment she thought he could tell she was lying. Suddenly, Pleakley ran to his desk and pulled out a fashion magazine, frantically flipping through it.

“Really? Cell phones are all the rage?”

“Yep.”

Unable to find anything in his magazine, Pleakley dropped it with a sigh. “Alright, you can take one. Can’t have you being unfashionable now can we?”

“Of course not.”

Grabbing the round yellow device, Lilo ran out of the room. Seeing he was alone, Pleakley locked the door and went back to modeling in front of the mirror. Lilo ran outside to meet Stitch who was already in the buggy.

“Gaba took so long?”

“Believe me, you do not want to know.”

Stitch looked confused, and Lilo just laughed. With a smile, Stitch started the red buggy and they drove off to see Angel. Lilo heard a beep from beside her and saw that the communicator was going off. She pulled it up and leaned closer to Stitch so whoever was calling could so both of them.

“Ah, little girl, and 626 too! I’m a being glad you got him back.”

“So what’s up, Jumba?”

“I thought I should tell you that I will be able to make machine not kill you.”

“Really? Is it already ready?”

“That would be a no, but I am on schedule as I thought I would be. I am going to go back to work now. I just wanted to let you know that it is not futile. Still, try to be keeping Stitch away from anyone.”

“Don’t worry, we got it all under control.”

Lilo turned off the device as she looked out onto the slow approaching town. The two were happy, soon the machine would be ready, and it would be safe for Lilo to use.


	9. Slipping

Angel was busy cleaning her entire house. After the battle with the Leroy clones, she and some of the other experiments had built their own places to live together. Seeing as some of their one true places couldn’t be lived in, like Sparky’s, they needed someplace safe to stay. With the help of Cobra Bubbles and the CIA, a small area, just off of Lilo’s home town, was bought and made into a small experiment community. Angel loved her bright pink bungalow, the white trim on the outside matched her fur perfectly. Even now she still had troubles believing that all the fighting was over for good, that she could finally just relax. Every now and then she would go sing at local restaurants, of course not to turn experiments bad, just for fun.

 _I never really got to sing for myself until now. It’s really a lot of fun._ She continued working while humming to herself. While vacuuming the living room, she accidently bumped into her wooden side table, knocking down a picture frame. She turned off the vacuum and picked it up, wiping some dirt away with her hand, she couldn’t help but give a pained smile as she looked at the old memory. Inside the dark blue frame held a picture of her and Stitch, just a few months ago, before she had broken up with him. They were sharing an ice-cream cone and Angel was licking off some stray ice-cream on Stitch’s cheek. It felt like only yesterday, she could still feel Stitch’s hand in her own whenever she felt sad or alone.

 _It was for the best. He wouldn’t have been happy with me. Lilo is who he belongs with… I wonder how the two of them are doing. I haven’t seen them in a while. Maybe I’ll give them a call later._ She put the picture back on the side table and continued her cleaning. Wiping down the windows she saw a tan yellow experiment walking into his own yellow and white house across the street. Feeling eyes on him, Reuben turned around and waved at Angel, who waved back, before heading into his own home. _I really should go talk to Rueben sometime. I wonder why he isn’t with Gantu anymore. Maybe I’ll give him a call too, some lunch and tea would be nice._ She quickly shook the thought of her having lunch with Reuben away, feeling her cheeks warm a little.

After a little while, the entire house was sparkling. Having moped, vacuumed, wiped, and dusted, Angel stood in the living room, admiring her work. She couldn’t help but enjoy the satisfaction of making something, rather than destroying everything.

“Felix makes it look easy.” She said while wiping some sweat from her forehead. Normally her fur didn’t make her feel hot, but after running around for a few hours she couldn’t help but need a rest. Grabbing a glass of water from the kitchen, she finally sat down. She turned on her blue record player and started listening to some music while closing her eyes for a little relaxation. Unfortunately, the moment of bliss was short lived, as a knock at the door caused her face to contort in disbelief.

“Just as meega sat down too. Who could it be?” She sighed as she turned off the music.

Putting on a fake smile, she opened the front door, wishing she had a little more time to relax. When she opened the door though, her face grew bright with joy.

“Lilo! Stitch!” Gaba youga doing here?”

“Aloha, Angel.” Lilo replied with a wave. “We thought we should come for a visit, is it alright if we come in?”

“Ih. Come in, come in.” She waved them in with great eager, all previous thoughts of anger completely leaving her.

Stitch kept behind Lilo slightly. Trying to hide as much as he could. In truth, he hadn’t visited Angel’s house since their break up. He actually hadn’t seen her much at all in the two months since. Neither one really knew how to act around each other anymore. Being led into the adjoined living room, Lilo and Stitch sat on the couch as Angel made her way into the kitchen.

“Would youga like something to drink?” Angel called.

“Yes please, some juice would be nice.”

Angel gave the two their drinks and went to sit in the rocking chair in the corner by the book case. Facing the two she noticed something different about the way they behaved.

“Meega glad to see youga again. Gaba youga doing over here?”

“Well actually, Stitch wanted to tell you something.”

“Meega?”

Stitch froze, it occurred to him that he had to thank her for helping him realize his feelings, but she was still his ex-boojiboo. The three sat there in an awkward silence that made their ears ring. Angel was more confused than anything as she saw Stitch shake from his nerves. Her senses suddenly heightened when she saw Lilo grab Stitch’s hand, looking into each other’s eyes he began calming down instantly. _What?_

“Angel. Meega wanted to say, takka-youga.”

“Takka? Gaba for?” She couldn’t help but notice that they were still holding hands.

“Because of youga, meega realize feelings for Lilo. Without youga, meega never confess.”

“Confess? So then youga?”

“We’re together.”  Lilo exclaimed as she put an arm around Stitch, pulling him in close.

Angel shrieked in excitement, jumping out of her chair. “Meega so happy for youga!” She really was happy for them, but a part of her couldn’t help but feel jealous. Her feelings for Stitch never completely left her, and while she gave up on the thought that she would be with him again, she did wish they had never needed to end their relationship.

She pulled Lilo from the couch and the two began jumping around in celebration. Not paying attention to her surroundings, Lilo bumped into the side table knocking the picture frame down again while falling herself.

“Ow, my arm.” Lilo winced, rubbing the spot she had fallen on. Angel was about to help Lilo up when Stitch jumped between the two of them, shielding Lilo protectively and growling at Angel.

“Stitch?” She tried to step forward to help, but her helping hand was swatted away by an increasingly terrifying Stitch. “Gaba youga doing?”

He continued to growl, anger growing inside him. Seeing Lilo get hurt, he couldn’t hold back what his very DNA told him to do. He saw Angel as a threat and needed to protect his love. Angel backed away in fear. She had never seen Stitch like this before, it was like he was a different person. Before any more harm could be done, Lilo wrapped her arms around him.

“It’s okay, Stitch.” She whispered.

He didn’t respond, his breathing had grown heavy against his control.

“I’m okay.”

Stitch started looking around, beginning to calm down, but still looking at Angel threateningly.

“Don’t worry, Stitch. Angel didn’t hurt me. It was an accident.” She began petting his fur, she could feel his breathing turn back to normal.

Stitch turned around and looked at Lilo, showing nothing but fear on his face. She continued petting the back of his head, giving him a soft comforting kiss on his forehead.

“Stitch?” said a worried voice from behind him. He turned around, seeing Angel looking terrified, confused, and hurt all at the same time.

With great guilt, Stitch apologized to both girls, then excused himself to the bathroom to calm down. Lilo fell back to the ground with a sigh of relief. Seeing Angel look at her quizzically, she began telling her everything they knew. Beginning with how Stitch began feeling something change inside him, and what Jumba had told them about the experiments ability to fall and love and what it would do. While it provided explanation, it still pained Angel for many reasons. To start, she had never had Stitch direct his anger at her in such a way, and because she and Stitch never developed this programming together. _I guess he never really did love me._ Looking out of the window she saw the little yellow house that mirrored her own, feeling herself blush again. _But I guess that means I didn’t love him as much either._ Feeling better with her revelation, she helped Lilo off of the floor and checked her arm, judging that it would be okay on it’s own.

Before sitting back down, Lilo picked up the picture she had knocked over. Looking at the image it contained she couldn’t help but feel guilty about what they had done. _Maybe we shouldn’t have come and told her. It hasn’t been that long since they broke up._

“I’m sorry, Angel.”

“Gaba for.”

“You really loved Stitch. I shouldn’t have come here and bragged about my relationship with him.” Lilo turned away, placing the photo of the two experiments back in its place.

“Lilo.” Angel began as she placed a tender hand on Lilo’s shoulder. “Isa oketaka.”

“Really?”

“Ih. True, meega still have feelings for Stitch, but meega and him are over. Youga truly love him, ih?”

“I do. I really do. I wish I had realized sooner.”

“Then isa oketaka.” Angel smiled at her friend. “Youga do what is best for youga and Stitch.”

Lilo pulled Angel into a hug that she happily returned.

“Isa there a way to help, Stitch?” Angel asked once their embrace ended.

Guilt pushed aside, Lilo explained about the machine Jumba had made, and how she and Stitch each had a different thought on whether it should be used or not.

“Meega agree with Stitch.”

“I understand why you and Stitch agree, but I’ve seen Stitch lose control. I’ve seen how much it pains him, how much he can fear himself. I wasn’t there for him when he had his glitch, and I’m never letting something like that happen again.”

“Meega understand, but youga must know weega want youga safe too.”

“I know.” Lilo said with a smile.

“So Jumba make machine safe for youga?”

“Yeah. When we were on our way over here he told us it will work, it should be finished Monday.”

“That’s a relief.”

“It is. I’m just worried about how Stitch is taking it. That was the first time he really lost control.”

Both of the girls looked away, neither one really knew what to say after that. Every now and then they would look at each other and smile awkwardly. Mostly though, Lilo would stare down at her hands and play with her fingers. Angel was acting similar, but instead she looked out the window, contemplating her feelings for Stitch, and the feelings she felt earlier while she was cleaning and thinking about Reuben.

Meanwhile, Stitch was in the light blue bathroom staring at himself in the mirror. Taking in every detail of his guilt ridden face as a bead of sweat rolled down his fur. _It’s getting stronger. It’s not like the glitch. Then I had no realization of what was happening, now I’m completely aware of what I’m doing._ He ran some cool water over his hands and splashed his face with the refreshing liquid. _What am I going to do?_ He let the water drip into the sink. _Can I make it through to Monday? Angel didn’t even do anything and I was ready to tear her apart if she even got close to Lilo…_ He looked down at his hands, seeing his claws gleam in the bright bathroom light. _I can do it. For Lilo…with Lilo. What a great thank-you that was._

Stitch stopped the water and dried his face off. Looking back in the mirror he tried his best to wipe the pain off his face. Returning to the living room, he found it very quiet. The moment he walked into view Lilo’s face brightened with a great smile, pulling all his attention to her. She lightened his heavy heart, no longer feeling guilty about what happened.

Taking her welcoming hand, he turned to Angel. “Meega soka, Angel.”

“Isa oketaka. Lilo explained everything. Meega know it wasn’t yougas fault.”

With a slight smile, he turned to Lilo. “Meega think weega get going now?”

“Alright. Is that okay with you Angel?”

“Ih. Meega go back to what meega was doing.”

The two said their good-byes and made their way out to the buggy. As soon as they drove off, Angel went back to listening to her music, starting to fall asleep. _A nap would be good._ She thought. _I’ll give Reuben a call later._ Beginning to blush, the pink experiment fell asleep, dreams of a yellow experiment and her having lunch together filled her mind.

  

Stitch drove with no destination in mind. Letting the wind take them wherever it wishes to.

“You okay, Stitch?”

“Ih. Meega just need to cool off. Get back control.”

“Hmm. Well, would taking your mind off of it help?”

“Depends what youga had in mind.”

Lilo didn’t answer, instead she leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. Stitch rested his head on hers, never taking his eyes off the road in front of them, when he felt her hand on his leg. She slowly petted his thigh, sending shivers down his spine. She slowly moved her hand up and down his leg before making her way up to his chest. Stitch enjoyed the treatment from the girl beside him, but began having trouble concentrating on the road. Finding a road that lead into a bunch of trees, Stitch quickly turned into the cover and parked the buggy.

“What are you do-“ Before Lilo could finish her sentence, Stitch had cupped her face with his hand and pulled her into a deep kiss. Both their hearts began to beat intensely, each trying to take control of the moment. Stitch didn’t even bother undoing his seatbelt, breaking the kiss, he worked his way out of the restraints. He crawled over to Lilo, patiently awaiting him. Putting each knee on either side of Lilo’s legs, he extended his lower arms and gently grabbed her shoulders. Being forced against her seat, Lilo’s breathing began to quicken. She could feel her heart race more and more in anticipation. Stitch could feel his breath mix with hers as he lost himself in her chocolate brown eyes. Noticing a small glint in them despite the slight lack of sun in their hidden alcove of trees. He used his main hands to cup the back of her head, running his fingers through her hair, as the other one was placed on her cheek. His second pair rubbed down her arms slowly, never letting her back leave the chair.

With a shudder and a whimper, Lilo’s lips quivered, wanting to feel Stitch’s pressed against them once again. Stitch continued watching her, he could see her eyes gloss over in anticipation, pleasure, and pleading. He grew a mischievous smile, loving the teasing he was giving his boojiboo. Before she became too impatient, Stitch gave into both of their increasing desires, reveling in the feeling of her soft tan lips against his. Closing her eyes in a gasp of relief, Lilo let Stitch continue kissing her as roughly as he wished, taking pleasure in his lips and his hands. She slowly became little more than putty as she felt herself give into him. Stitch continued his treatment for a few long minutes. All sense of time left him as he finally gave into his programming. Rather than the protective side he could finally feel the passion and love that had been bottled up for years. The blessing of their friends gave them the confidence they needed to truly give in to what they subconsciously wished for for so long.

Stitch pulled away, looking deeply into Lilo’s tanned face as it glowed from the rush. Their breath was short and they could do little more than huff to get air flowing through them again. Having finally calmed down, Stitch took his place back in his seat, turning on the buggy once again. The gentle rocking of the engine stirred Lilo back to her senses. With a long sigh, she stretched as if she had just awoken from the most wonderful dream of her young life.

“So, after the machine calms down your genetics, do you think we can do more of that?” Lilo asked as they took back to the road. “Or, do you think that will be calmed down too?”

“Meega will always want to do that with youga.”

“I’m glad.” She could see a dreamy look come through Stitch’s pitch black eyes. Despite any colour, his emotions always showed clearly. Giggling to herself, she saw they made it into town, a costume shop zooming past them. “Hey, Stitch. I think I just got an idea on how to get you into the dance.”

“Gaba isa it?”

“We could have Mopholomew change your appearance for the night. No one will know it’s you, and we can have the most romantic evening.”

Contemplating it for a moment, Stitch thought about the alternative option. Not going. “Meega would enjoy that.”

“Yay!” Lilo exclaimed throwing her hands into the air, feeling the cool air rush past them. The blush on her cheeks had yet to fade, but she didn’t mind. She had never felt as excited as she had then. “We should go to the mall then for new clothes then.”

“Oketaka.” Stitch spun the buggy around 180 degrees and headed towards the highway to make their way to Kukui Grove.

 

While the couple enjoyed their day, Jumba continued to toil in his lab. Having not stopped working since the previous night, Jumba could feel exhaustion start to take over. Shutting the welding unit in his hand off, he backed away from his machine, wiping sweat from his brow with his free hand. He removed his four-eyed goggles and placed the welding device with the rest of his tools.

“Ugh. I can’t be stopping now. Any delay could be catastrophic… But I am in needing of a “pick-me-up’, as the earthlings be saying.” He left his lab to reach the kitchen area of his ship. Pouring himself some galactic brand coffee he sat at the round table in the middle of the room. “At least little girl will be being safe once it is over. Where would evil genius be without her?”

Jumba mulled over his life before meeting his new family. All the time spent alone, doing nothing but create, angry at the universe for not understanding his brilliant ideas. A home planet that made him an outcast, family not wanting anything to do with him. Not to mention his ex-wife, thinking about her made him shudder in fear.

“I am just hoping the side effects are not being too severe. Who knows what 626 would do to me if something were to happen to his boojiboo.”

With a newly appointed resolve, Jumba went back to his lab. He was determined to be finished in the three days that he promised the couple. “Please don’t be too severe.”


	10. Naga Hurt Boojiboo!

Lilo and Stitch had spent some time in the mall, trying to figure out exactly what Lilo should wear to the dance. She was never really one for shopping. She preferred her plain clothes and her colourful muumuus. Where other girls cared about fashion and looks, Lilo cared about what was inside. The only time she ever really dressed up was for her appearances before the Grand Council and when she and Stitch had their dinner just a few days earlier. This time was different, it was special. She wanted to look her absolute best for Stitch on their night, and Stitch wanted the same for Lilo.

Lilo found a fancy dress store that she normally wouldn’t step into. However, after looking at a few of their dresses, she started finding a few that she really liked, putting them over her arm as she found them.  Thankfully the store wasn’t as crowded as the rest of the mall was.

“You feel better in here?”

“Ih. Takka.”

“It’s no problem, there are some dresses here I like. I’m sure we can find something.”

“Nagga worry too much. Youga always beautiful.”

“Awe, Stitch.” She leaned down and gave him a kiss on his head, quickly checking that no one was looking first. “You’re so sweet.”

Stitch’s eyes kept darting back and forth. He wanted to be shopping with Lilo, but with so many people around, it was hard for him to stop from grabbing her and running. Every person became a danger, and therefore he became a danger. To help him cope, Lilo chose this store so they would have more privacy. It was just a bonus that there were actually dresses she liked.

“Hmm.” Lilo pondered as she sifted through the racks of dresses. “I really liked that one you had made for me, but it’s still dirty from the beach, and I want something special for our first romantic dance as a couple.”

“Weega could always make one again.” Stitch was helping pick out the best he could, but truthfully, he had no idea what he was doing. His cousins did most of the work on her dress before.

“No! Your cousins worked so hard on that other one, I can’t ask them to make another.” She kept sifting through rack after rack, until she found a few more that caught her eyes. “Here we go!”

Stitch looked over to Lilo as she grabbed a bunch of different dresses and ran to the changing room. He quickly ran after her to see what she had chosen.

“You wait out here Stitch. I’ll show you each one, and we can pick together.”

“Oketaka.” Stitch waited patiently, he sat on a bench against the wall and began kicking his legs back and forth, looking around at the store. It had a very touristy look to it, with the walls adorned with a lot of Hawaiian imagery, but the clothes they had were some of the best on the island. That also meant they were some of the most expensive.

Stitch’s attention was caught by the pitter patter of claws on tile, similar to his own. He hoped down and crouched on all fours to look beneath the sea of clothing before him. For a second he thought he saw a small white Shih Tzu dog in the mall. Before he could go investigate he heard Lilo’s voice come from the changing room.

“Alright, Stitch. You ready?”

“Ih!” Stitch said eagerly, as he jumped up to see what Lilo was wearing.

She stepped out, wearing a pastel purple dress that went down to her ankles. It was strapless and had a flower pattern along the right side of it in white. Stitch was blown away, he had said earlier that Lilo was always beautiful and he meant it. When Lilo dressed to impress though, she really pulled out all the stops. Lilo looked at herself in the mirror on the wall, a little disappointed.

“It looks great…”

“Ih! Youga butifa.”

“I’m not sure it’s the right one though.”

“Nagga?”

“No. Let’s try something else.”

Lilo tried on dress after dress. Each one left Stitch speechless. Or, to be more precise, Lilo left him speechless. She couldn’t help but giggle at the smile on Stitch’s face every time she stepped out with something new on. _I think he’s enjoying this way too much._ Lilo continued going through the piles of clothing she grabbed. Hoping something in there would be perfect for her night with Stitch. Pushing aside another purple dress she stopped. Underneath was the second most beautiful dress she had ever seen. Nothing would top the one Stitch had made for her, but this was really close. _This is it. Nothing could top this in a million, no, a bazillion years._

“I found it Stitch!”

“Ohhhhh. Oketaka.” Stitch was getting excited, to him, Lilo could have picked any one of the dresses she already tried on and she would be the most eye catching girl at the dance. So, if Lilo was saying this was it, it had to be the dress to end all dresses.

After a few painstaking moments of waiting, Stitch heard the door to the changing room creak open. Stitch’s jaw dropped. Lilo stepped forward shyly, her early confidence was lost now that she knew this was the one she wanted. _Please like it. Please._ Out of the corner of her eye, she could see herself in the mirror, making her blush and try to hide her face. _Why isn’t he saying anything?_

Stitch couldn’t speak. It wasn’t like the words were escaping him, he just had no words to say. Nothing he said could convey how Lilo looked to him. Her dark red dress captivated his attention fully. It had a single strap going over her left shoulder, with small frost white frills running along the edge. The top of the dress was form fitting and shined from slight reflective glitter. The bottom of the dress wasn’t form fitting like the top, it fanned out whenever she moved, like every step she took was a dance made just for Stitch.

“Lilo…” He was still trying to find the words to tell her how beautiful she was.

“It doesn’t look good, does it? I should try to find something else.” She started to turn away when she felt a hand grab hers, holding her in place. She looked into Stitch’s loving eyes, she could see a sparkle in them as only she was reflected on the cool dark surfaces.

“Meega luckiest guy in the world.” He gave her a quick kiss, not caring if anyone saw them. It was Lilo’s turn to be speechless. She was so happy that Stitch loved the dress too. She couldn’t wait for the dance to come. She quickly ran back into the room to change as she felt her face grow more and more red. With Stitch being left alone, he looked back outside the store. He could no longer hear the pitter patter of claws. With a shrug, he waited patiently for his Lilo to return.

Leaving the rest of the dresses behind, Lilo and Stitch began weaving through the racks of clothes to go pay for the red dress.

“Nani said to only use this credit card in case of an emergency.”

“Ih.”

“I think this counts. I mean, Nani always wants me to go out and fit in right? I can’t really go to the dance like the other girls without a dress.”

“Ih. Isa oketaka.”

“Right.”

With the dress wrapped up and put in a bright blue bag, they left the store. They didn’t really know what to do next, seeing as they had the rest of the day together. However, Stitch was starting to fidget with all the people around. Looking around the crowd, Lilo spotted a brown haired girl she recognized.

“Hey! There’s Victoria. We should go say hello.”

Running together, Lilo and Stitch made their way towards their friend. Lilo suddenly stopped running, leaving Stitch a few paces ahead of her. Confused, he looked between Victoria and Lilo, noticing that their brown haired friend wasn’t alone. A tall spikey brown haired boy was talking to her. The couple sneaked closer to get a better look, hiding behind a plant they discovered that she was talking to Keoni. Victoria’s face was a bright shade of pink.

“What are Keoni and Victoria doing together?” Lilo whispered.

“Nagga nota.”

“It looks like he’s leaving. Come on, Stitch.”

Just as Keoni got out of ear shot, Lilo approached Victoria who was waving good-bye to the surfer boy.

“Hey, Victoria.”

“O-oh! Hey, Lilo. You startled me.” Victoria said trying to catch her breath from the surprise.

“Sorry about that. So,” Lilo began in a sing song tone, “what were you and Keoni talking about?”

Victoria looked between the two of them before answering. “I guess you told me so I should tell you. He asked me to the dance on Saturday.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“So then when you said there was someone you had a crush on…”

“Yeah, it was Keoni.”

The three sat down at a nearby table. Victoria could see Stitch was fidgeting quite a bit, but before she could ask what was going on, Lilo had her own question.

“So, why didn’t you tell me before?”

“Well…” Victoria hesitated, not entirely sure how to put it. “You always had a crush on him, I thought that if I tried to ask him out, or said anything, it might upset you.”

Lilo smiled at her friend, seeing a sad look come across her face. “My crush on Keoni ended a long time ago, and besides, I have Stitch now.”

“I know. You’re my best friend though, I didn’t want anything to come between us.”

“Nothing could ever stop us from being friends, Victoria.”

Victoria’s heavy spirits were lifted by Lilo. She had a crush on Keoni for a long time, it felt good to have her friend’s blessing on the matter. “So, are you going to the dance?”

“Of course, why?”

“Well. Keoni mentioned that Snooty wouldn’t be able to go. No pets allowed and all. Are you going to go without Stitch?”

Lilo grabbed Stitch’s hand under the table, she could tell he was having a little more trouble with the crowd. Giving it a slight squeeze she answer her friend. “No, Stitch is going.”

“How are you getting him in?”

“We’re going to have Mopholomew change his appearance for the night. That way we can have a nice romantic evening just like everyone else.”

“That’ll be sweet.” Mid conversation a small group of teenage boys made their way past the three’s table. Without meaning to, Stitch grabbed Lilo’s shoulder and pulled her close to him, eyeing down the boys as they walked past. No one around noticed the odd behavior, except for Victoria. “Is everything okay, Stitch? You seem…jumpy.”

Lilo explained the whole issue with Stitch’s programming, and how they have to wait a few more days until Jumba will have the machine ready for her. The whole time, Victoria became more and more worried, but not about Stitch.

“Are you going to be okay?”

“Well, Jumba said it wouldn’t kill me, that’s what really matters.”

“There won’t be any side effects though?”

Lilo thought about it for a moment. She never considered just what might happen to her during or afterwards. She saw concern flash in Stitch’s eyes and felt his hand tighten on her shoulder. _Anything is worth it for Stitch._

“Whatever happens will happen. For Stitch, I am willing to try anything if it means he will be better.” She tightened her own grip on his hand, calming him down a little.

“I thought you were going to say that.” Victoria responded with a giggle. “If you two need anything, you can come find Snooty and me. We’ll be happy to help.”

“Takka.” Stitch said while he continued his watch on the crowds. Nothing was going to stop him if someone tried to hurt Lilo. “Could weega go? Hard to keep control here.”

“Sure, Stitch. We got what we came for anyway.”

“Is it all right if I head out with you?” Victoria asked as she got up to grab her bag. “I need to get home soon.”

“Sure.”

The three collected their things and made their way out of the busy shopping center. Not expecting a visit from an unwelcomed guest as soon as they made it out of the building. Making little more than a few steps onto the side walk, a voice from behind caught their attention.

“Well if it isn’t Weirdlo and Weirdtoria.” The three turned around to see Myrtle, looking full of herself, walking Gigi with a hand full of shopping bags. “What are you doing here? This place is way too good for someone like you.”

“I was doing some shopping for the dance next Saturday.” Lilo replied in her normal cheery demeanor, holding up the blue bag to show it off. “I got a brand new dress, and it looks amazing.”

“Please. Anything you would think is amazing is probably the ugliest thing ever.”

Lilo was about to retort, anger forming on her face, but Victoria quickly chimed in before things got out of hand. “Come on guys. Can’t we get along?”

Gigi looked between the two girls, concern on her face. She hated when they fought, but knew little could be done to change Myrtle’s feelings towards Lilo. If need be, she would drag Myrtle away if things became too bad.

“Get along?” The orange haired girl spat with disgust. “Why should I when I am clearly so much better?”

“You’re not better than me!” Lilo was starting to get angry. Stitch could feel it too. Normally he could let Lilo fight her own battles, but Myrtle’s growing insults was starting to itch at his programming. He kept himself back, trying his best not to lash out. Victoria saw this, and put a hand on his shoulder while Lilo handled their “nemesis.”

“Yes I am. I’m prettier, smarter, a way better dancer.” The two were glaring, face to face, only inches away from each other.

“I am a way better dancer than you, and I will look far better than you ever could.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah!”

“Then prove it! Saturday night. There’s a vote for best couple, whichever one of us wins is truly the best.”

“Sounds good to me.” Lilo accepted the challenge without fear.

“Ha! It’s gonna be hard for you to win. I’ve already got a date, but who would ever want to go to a dance with a weirdo like you?”

“Well, as a matter of fact, I have a date too!”

“Oh really? Who is it?” Myrtle put her hands on her hips, waiting for an answer.

“It’s…” Lilo began. _I can’t say it’s Stitch…._

“I’m waiting.”

“It’s a surprise.” Lilo stepped back a bit, losing her earlier confidence.

“I knew it. You don’t have a date. I bet that’s not even a dress in that bag.” Myrtle snatched the blue bag out of Lilo’s hand.

“Hey! Give me back my dress!” Lilo shouted, pouncing forward, doing her best the grab back the dress she picked out to wear for Stitch. Myrtle fought her off though, neither one noticing Stitch shaking in anger. Victoria tried to hold him back as the two girls before them fought, but was finding it harder and harder. Gigi wasn’t paying attention to the blue experiment, her back was to him as she desperately tried to get her owners attention, to no avail.

The two continued their struggle over the bag, eventually though, Myrtle dropped it, pushing Lilo back. Unable to keep her balance, Lilo fell back on the hard side walk cement. With a moan of pain, she saw that her elbow had been scrapped, a small drop of blood starting to trail down her arm. Stitch saw the blood, and all control was lost. Tearing himself out of Victoria’s grip he lunged at the girl who’d been a pain to them for years. Seeing the blue blur rush past her, Lilo felt her heart sink. _Stitch?_

With a scream of terror, Myrtle was hoisted into the air. “Let me go you stupid mutt!”

Gigi ran at stitch, barking as loud as she could. The sound pained Stitch greatly, but nothing in the world mattered at that moment. The only thing he could think about, was disposing of the one that had cause Lilo, not only years of torment, but current physical pain. He was ready to tear her limb from limb, when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. He didn’t need to look to see that Lilo was holding onto him.

“Let her go, Stitch.” Lilo pleaded. No matter how badly she was treated, she knew Stitch wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he hurt anyone. “She’s not worth it.”

Stitch’s breathing grew heavy, trying to get back control. Instead of tearing the mean girl apart, he threw her into a nearby fruit stand. Gigi ran after her, but nearly stopped at Stitch’s comment.

“Nagga hurt meegas boojiboo again!” Stitch declared. Myrtle didn’t know what “boojiboo” meant, but Gigi did.

Myrtle got herself out of the wrecked stand, brushing off dust and fruit juices from her clothes, but was unharmed otherwise. “You’re gonna pay for this you disconfigured dog! C’mon, Gigi.”

The two marched off, leaving the trio behind. Gigi looked back at Stitch as he regained himself. _Boojiboo? That would mean they’re together-together!_ Letting that thought run through her mind, she quickly caught up to her master, hoping she would also calm down soon.

“You okay now, Stitch?”

“Ih. Meega soka.” He turned around and held Lilo as tightly as he could. Victoria rushed over, now that the fighting was over, and took a look at Lilo’s arm.

“It should be okay. It’s just a scratch.”

“That’s good.” Lilo said with a sigh of relief.

Collecting themselves and their things, Lilo checked to make sure her dress was okay. Finding it was, they all made their way to the parked buggy. Lilo and Stitch gave Victoria a ride home before going back to their own blue house themselves. Deciding they had enough adventure for one day, the couple decided to stay at home for the rest of the day. Watching movies and trying not to annoy Nani too much with their usual antics. Night quickly fell on the island, and after cleaning up and getting ready for bed, the two laid in each other’s arms. Thinking about everything that had happened that day. Between the incident at Angel’s and at the mall, Stitch could tell it was getting harder and harder to control his urges. He clutched at Lilo’s night gown again, gaining some comfort from the fabric.

“How about tomorrow we stay in?”

“Huh?”

“We’ve gone out a lot lately, and it’ll be easier for you if we stay home.”

“Youga oketaka with that?”

“Yeah. I just want you to be okay. As long as I’m with you, I’m okay with anything.”

“Oketaka. Takka.”

“No problem, boojiboo.” Lilo gave Stitch a kiss on the nose, before cuddling deeply into his warm fur.

“Meega hope, Gigi nagga hear meega call youga boojiboo.”

Lilo thought about it for a minute. “She probably did, but I doubt she will do anything about it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. She’s ohana. I’m sure she would understand the situation we’re in right?.”

“Youga right.”

The two shared a deep good night kiss. Letting it last several minutes before exhaustion finally took them over.


	11. I Can Make You Tell

Sunday was the first day Lilo and Stitch had to rest in what felt like forever. Because Stitch was getting more and more uncomfortable as time went on, the two spent most of the morning and a bit of the afternoon in their bedroom. Even Nani and Pleakley made Stitch’s programming go hay wire. Lilo did her best to keep Stitch calm, so as not to arouse any suspicion. However, Pleakley couldn’t help but feel suspicious over Stitch’s odd behavior around him, and that they had shut themselves away in their room. Being dragged into helping with chores, Pleakley was drying the never ending flow of dishes.

“I can’t believe we’re stuck doing all this cleaning, and they’re just wasting the day in their bedroom.”

“But you like cleaning.” Nani retorted, without looking at the noodle like alien.

Pleakley paused for a moment. “That’s beside the point. Anyway, don’t you think Stitch has been acting strange this last little while?”

“Strange…” Nani began, letting herself trail off as she thought about the past few days. “You mean stranger than normal?” She joked.

“This is no laughing matter, Nani. He keeps looking at me strange, and I haven’t seen him without Lilo in who knows how long.”

“Pleakley, everyone looks at you strange. The two of them are growing up, it’s normal for them to behave differently, it’s probably just a phase.” She handed him the last dish, taking the cloth to wipe down the counters.

“You might not think anything of it, but I do. Jumba hasn’t left his lab in days, Stitch is acting strange, and Lilo doesn’t leave his side. I think something is up.”

“You’re just paranoid.” Nani brushed his ramblings off.

“It’s not good to stay in your room alone for so long…wait. Paranoid? Yes I am.” He declared proudly. “But between living with an evil genius and living on an island populated with monsters, as much as they are family, how can I not be? At any moment the entire island could be destroyed!” He began flailing his long arms. “What would we do if there’s nothing left? We wouldn’t be fine. We would be the exact opposite of fine. We would be…. Destroyed!”

“You have a point.” Nani agreed, as she threw the cloth in the hamper.

“About us being destroyed?”

“No.” Pleakley’s face dropped. “About staying in their room. It seems no one is busy today. Maybe we should have family fun night tonight.”

“Family…fun…night…” Pleakley thought back to the last time they had family fun night. His head was nearly chewed off by Stitch after he ate the last piece of cake. Shuddering he tried backing out of his earlier statement. “I don’t know, Nani.” He gulped. “Now that I think about it, we should let them be. Like you said, just a phase and all. Heehee.”

“Nonsense! It’ll be fun!” She grabbed the phone and rang David, who was happy to hear from her. After a bit of convincing, David finally gave in and agreed to come over for the evening.

“Well,” Pleakley began with a sigh. “I guess I’ll go let Jumba know.” He left the kitchen defeated and more than a little scared for the oncoming night. Having taken his time reaching the ship, he entered and found the lab entrance closed. Knocking a few times he waited patiently for an answer, taping a steady rhythm on the wall. Letting a few minutes pass he tried knocking on the door again, this time a little harder.

“Jumba?” Pleakley called out, his voice echoing through the halls. “Heehee. Guess no one’s homes.”

With no reply, Pleakley shrugged and started to walk away, tripping over his legs. His flailing arms hit the control pad next to the door causing it to slide open. Rubbing his head, he looked into the lab and found it completely black, no one insight. Nervously, he entered, shaking from the eeriness of the dark lab filled with equipment that all looked evil.

“H-hello? Jumba? Y-ou here?” Pleakley bumped into a trolley of equipment, making him jump and scream. After a second he composed himself, continuing his way through the maze of equipment. “W-where are you, Jumba?”

Some odd sounds were floating through the air of the lab. Following what he could make out, he saw a door on the other side of the lab, glowing every so often in time with the sounds. As he approached, he could tell the sounds were some sort of tools.

He looked down to see the panel beside the door flashing “UNLOCKED” in bright green letters. He tapped on the open button, making the door shoot up, revealing Jumba in lab coat and goggles working on an impressive red machine. He walked in, mouth agape. Jumba heard the door open and the sound of footsteps approach, he stopped what he was doing and, removing the goggles, looked to find his one-eyed companion staring at him and his work. Unable to think of anything to say, Jumba just looked at him, clearly worried.

“What is that?” Pleakley asked.

Jumba stared at him then the machine and then back at Pleakley. “What is what?”

“That! That thing!” Pleakley pointed to his machine for Lilo and Stitch, shaking off a sense of déjà vu.

“Oh, this? This is nothing. It’s a, a, isn’t it obvious what it is?”

Pleakley stepped forward, checking every inch of the large machine. “Well, if I were to guess. I’d say it is a pod machine, designed to alter the genetics of two of your little monsters, to bind them and their love together for all eternity. Most likely in the case of one or both going crazy from the need to protect the one they care about most.” After a pause, Pleakley had one more thing to add. “But I’m no expert.”

Jumba was a little taken aback. How Pleakley figured it out he would never know, but for Lilo and Stitch’s sake, he had to convince him that he was wrong.

“Bah! You know nothing of true evil geniousry.” Jumba laughed. “This is clearly a new, environmentally friendly…uh…. Tanning bed. For two!”

“Really?” Pleakley crossed his arms, something didn’t seem right about Jumba’s answer to him.

“Yes, it is designed to be completely safe for the environment and its user.” Seeing it wasn’t working very well, Jumba tried a new approach. “I’ve been thinking I need a new look, for my, uh, earth disguise. You mentioned something about tanning before so I thought why not?”

“That doesn’t seem evil, or bad.” Pleakley was lowering his defense.

“No, no, no. I may be evil genius, but I would never create anything evil again… well, not so soon.”

“So can I try it?” Pleakley began to open one of the pods, causing Jumba to slam it down, hard.

“No!”

“And why not?”

“Because it is not being done yet!” Jumba said exasperated, this was no time to be explaining anything to Pleakley, he needed to finish as fast as possible. “Who knows what could happen if you used it when it’s not finished. It could be catastrophic!”

Jumba had grabbed Pleakley and began rushing him out of the room. “Now please, let me be getting back to work.”

Pleakley furrowed his brow out of anger. “Okay, okay. You don’t have to push.” Once he was out of the room, he remembered why he was there in the first place. “Oh, yeah. Nani has called a family fun night tonight. So you know the drill.”

“What? Bah! I don’t have time for that. I am not going.” Before Pleakley could respond, Jumba shut the door and punched in the lock code on the pad. Leaving the noodle like alien standing in the dark confines of the lab, alone.

“Nani isn’t going to like that….” Pleakley left to return the news of Jumba’s absence to Nani. Fearing what she might do to him.

 

A few hours later, Lilo and Stitch were still in their room. They decided the best way to help Stitch and pass the time was to go through their photo albums and make another memory book. They wanted to make a new one for a while, but had been too busy. Now that they were a couple, they wanted a special memory book to just themselves. Relaying memories to each other, giggling at all the times they could have realized their true feelings. Lilo grabbed a picture out of the many scattered across their floor, giggling at the image on it.

Lilo was holding a large net as she sat on stitch’s shoulders with a large, parrot like experiment on her shoulder. He had a red head with a colorful body. Rather than having beady eyes, he had large black eyes like many other experiments.

“Remember this day?”

Stitch looked at the picture and laughed too. “Ih. That was butifa crazy.”

“Yeah.” Lilo looked back at the picture, remembering all the trouble Squawk had caused. “I was so worried he was going to reveal that I said I love you more than anything.”

Stitch looked at Lilo, seeing the smile on her face grow as she thought more about it. “I guess when I think back, I should have realized what it meant. I thought it was cause you’re my best friend, but there was more too it.”

“Well, when experiment force youga to say something without control, youga never really know gaba come out. Whether isa true or not.”

Lilo giggled, putting the picture in the pile of what they were going to use. “Did they make you say anything?”

Stitch got quiet really fast, his face started to grow red and he tried to hide it. Lilo saw though, and it made her curious as to what Stitch had thought about. “You did! Didn’t you?”

“Nagga.” Stitch’s face grew even redder, he could feel the heat grow as Lilo continued asking him about it.

“I knew it! What did Squawk make you reveal?”

“Nagga nota.” Stitch started backing up, crawling away, trying to hide what he had said and done two years ago. Lilo wasn’t backing down, though. She crawled over to him with a mischievous face.

“Come on, Stitch. You can tell me. I won’t laugh.” Stitch felt his back hit the dresser. He had nowhere else to go. Lilo quickly made her approach and trapped him. Leaning over him, she could feel the heat from his cheeks radiate off of him. “If you don’t tell me, I have ways of making you talk.”

Lilo grabbed each of Stitch’s hands and held them down to the floor. Of course, he was strong enough to break her grip on him, but he would never hurt her, he physically couldn’t. In all sense of the word, he was trapped, and he felt his heart race because of it. She brushed her lips, ever close to Stitch’s. He could feel her breath mix with his, and could almost feel her kiss, but she kept it just out of his reach. If he moved closer, she would move back. Unable to fight his programming he needed to kiss her again. He needed to show his love. In all his struggles, nothing he did made Lilo give in and press her lips to his. Lilo couldn’t help but grin at the display Stitch was showing. _He is too cute. 626, the greatest and strongest experiment ever made, struggling for my kiss._ Her own heart began to race at the thought. She loved giving him a taste of his own medicine after what he made her go through in the buggy. Feeling he may have had enough, she leaned forward, but before their lips finally met she whispered to him.

“I’ll kiss you if you tell me.”

Unable to resist any further, Stitch gave in. “Oketaka. Meega talk.”

With the answer she desired, she gave into him. Pressing herself against him, she let go of his hands and fell onto his chest, never breaking their tender sweet kiss. Stitch wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer into him, almost tearing her red muumuu with his claws. They let the kiss continue, slowly, letting all their love and passion break through as their lips danced together. Lilo petted the back of Stitch’s neck, sending a shiver down his spine. The two continued their embrace for as long as they could manage. After a few minutes, with short breathe, their tender kiss ended with Lilo laying on Stitch’s chest. He gave her a quick kiss on her head, leaving his head to linger as he enjoyed the smell of her hair.

“So? What was the secret Squawk made you reveal? It must be pretty big.”

“Remember youga went on date with Keoni that day?”

“Well it wasn’t a date, but yes.”

“Meega follow youga around, when youga told meega not to.” Stitch tried to hide his red face.

Lilo was a little upset that he followed her, but couldn’t stay made at how cute he was being. “Why’d you follow us?”

“Meega jealous.”

“Oh, Stitch.” Lilo leaned up and kissed him on the nose. “That’s when I realized I didn’t have a crush on him anymore.”

“Ih.”

“Well, I can see why you wanted to keep it hidden, since I told you not to follow us. But why did you seem so embarrassed about it?”

Stitch hesitated, he knew he had to tell her. He did promise after all, but he really wish he hadn’t.

“Pleakley was with meega, and he made meega a disguise.”

“And?” Lilo was very persistent to find out what Stitch was keeping hidden.

“Meega was a baby, meega in a carriage. Pleakley was disguised as meega’s mother.”

Lilo couldn’t help but giggle at the image of Stitch in a bonnet and diaper, being pushed around by Pleakley. _I wish I could have seen that._ Stitch grew more embarrassed about it.

“So that’s what Squawk made you tell?”

“Ih. Meega worried they would reveal it to youga. That why meega catch Squawk as soon as meega could. Thankfully, they nagga tell youga when weega caught them.”

“I was glad that Squawk didn’t mention what I said either. I was still young, even if I didn’t realize my feelings… “Love” was still an embarrassing thing.”

“Ih.”

They shared a laugh and continued to cuddle for a few more minutes. The sound of the elevator breaking the moment. Getting used to breaking away at a moment notice, the two went back to their photo album. Nani reached their room with a big smile on her face. Lilo and Stitch became worried. Nani only ever smiled like that when something bad was about to happen. At least, what they considered bad.

“Okay you two, that’s enough time in your room. We are having family fun night in ten minutes. I expect both of you downstairs in that time.”

“Do we have to?” Lilo pleaded. “We just want to stay up here.”

“You two have been up here long enough. Now I have gone to a lot of trouble to put this together, so we are all going to spend tonight together as a happy loving _ohana_.” Nani stressed the word ‘ohana.’ It was the one thing that Lilo always had to comply too. Stitch on the other hand, could still try to get his way.

“Naga-takabah!” He turned away from Nani and crossed his arms, he was determined to stay in his room. He normally caused something bad to happen on family fun nights, and with the way he was now it was sure to only be worse.

“Well, I tried to do this nicely.” Nani quickly grabbed Lilo and Stitch by the arm. Lilo was worried that Stitch would snap, but luckily he didn’t. He was struggling in Nani’s grip, but despite him and her being dragged to the lift, he wasn’t tearing Nani apart. _I guess that kiss will keep him cooled him off for a while._

Once the two were dragged into the living room, they gasped. Jumba was sitting on the couch with Pleakley. They both were looking very nervous. Jumba looked at them, his eyes conveying all the apologies he was silently saying for being there instead of in his lab.

“Now all we need is David. Pleakley, will you come help finish some things off in the kitchen?” Nani demanded more than asked.

“Sure!” Pleakley jumped up and hurried into the kitchen. _I don’t want to know what Nani did to scare everyone…_ Lilo thought. Nani could be very persuasive, especially when it comes to family fun nights.

Taking this opportunity, Lilo and Stitch ran to Jumba. They talked secretly in hushed voices so as not to be heard by the two in the kitchen.

“Were you able to finish it?” Lilo asked, hope on her face.

“I am being very sorry you two.” Jumba apologized. “She managed to pull me out of my lab at a very crucial part of the maintenance. I could have had it done by the morning, but now it will take until tomorrow night.”

Lilo and Stitch both became crestfallen, they were hoping that they didn’t need to go to hula class with Stitch still like this. “How she find youga?” Stitch chimed in.

“Pleakley found me in my lab earlier, he must have told Nani where to get me. You know how persuasive she can be being.”

“Wait, Pleakley found the machine?!” Worry shot throughout Lilo. Pleakley wasn’t known to be good at keeping secrets. “Does he know?”

“Know? Hah! I got him believing it is a tanning bed.”

“Gaba a relief.” The two sighed.

“I guess we’ll just have to manage.” She grabbed Stitch’s hand to comfort him. “It’s only one more day after all. We just have to survive tonight…and school…and Myrtle…. And everyone else.”

Stitch felt Lilo’s grip on him weaken, he grabbed her hand tightly causing her to look in his confident eyes. “We do together.”

Stitch’s confidence came through to Lilo. She felt her spirits lifted. “You’re right. We can do it together.” She gave him a quick kiss on the lips. _We can do anything if we’re together._

“Alright, enough of the cutesy stuff.” Jumba waved them off. “I am not needing the warm fuzzy feelings.”

The two laughed hand in hand, breaking apart when they heard the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it!” Lilo shouted as she ran to the door. When she opened it, a very nervous David walked in.

“She got you guys too?” He asked as he looked at each of them individually.

“Yeah…”

“Yep.”

“Ih.”

The three replied in unison. David sat on the couch next to Jumba, Lilo and Stitch took their usual spots on the floor, sitting slightly closer together than normal.

Nani burst into the room, clapping her hands together, gaining the combined, scared attention of everyone into the room. “So? Who’s ready for some family fun?”


	12. Family Fun Night

Family fun night had started without any issues. Nani had made tons of snacks for the group as normal, however decided that regular snacks would go over better than her usual themed ones. Unable to resist going all out though, it was all deserts. Cakes, tarts, brownies, popcorn balls, and many other delicious goodies were laid out upon the coffee table. Stitch had a hard time keeping himself from eating everything all at once, but a stern look from Nani kept him in place. They all sat and enjoyed their movie, it was Pleakley’s choice so they ended up watching a documentary about Africa.

Jumba’s mind was preoccupied about Stitch, worried he would go berserk at any moment, but ate and pretended to be interested in the movie to keep suspicion off of him. Pleakley kept on the edge of his seat the whole time. Every little detail about the animals and plants of the foreign continent fascinated him greatly. Until a mosquito popped up on the screen and he screamed. Lilo and Stitch couldn’t help but laugh at Pleakley silliness. The two of them we’re lying on their stomachs, nearly pressed up against each other. Normally they didn’t like documentaries, but all the amazing animals kept their interest. Nani noticed that Lilo and Stitch we’re acting a bit different around each other, but couldn’t quite put her finger on what. _Maybe Pleakley was on to something earlier._ Her thoughts were broken as David yawned and stretched, wrapping his arm around her. She rolled her eyes, but instead of moving it away as usual, she decided to cuddle into him.

The entire night was going smoothly. Stitch was behaving far better than he ever had before, to the relief of both his boojiboo and Jumba. The entire group looked like a perfect little family. The video had finally ended, making it the first time they made it past a movie without something bad happening. Not entirely sure what they should do afterwards, David suggested they play a board game together.

“That’s a great idea. I haven’t played a board game in so long.” Nani added in. She went out into the hall for a few minutes before returning with a copy of Monopoly. “This was the only game we have that we can all play together.”

The game was going well, as well as a game of Monopoly could go in the Pelekai house anyway. Stitch was pouting about losing half his money to Pleakley, Jumba was reveling in all his properties, and Lilo was just happy to have all the red spaces. She couldn’t help but giggle at Stitch’s display, she rubbed his back comfortingly, making him smile. He rolled the dice again and moved his little dog playing piece three spaces, right onto another one of Pleakley’s properties. Stitch couldn’t believe it, he flopped, face first onto the ground.

“Now, now, Stitch. No need to be a sore loser. You’re still in the game.” Pleakley said. Lilo grabbed his money for him and handed it to the boasting alien. The game continued, with Pleakley soon being the obvious winner. Lilo was about to take her turn when Pleakley suddenly remembered something he wanted to bring up a while ago.

“Oh, Jumba!” Pleakley exclaimed. “Why don’t you tell us about that new machine you were working on earlier?”

“What? That?” He replied nervously. “I don’t think anyone would be being interested in listening about that.”

“You’re building something?” David asked, he actually liked hearing the neat things Jumba could make.

“Yeah! He said it was a new tanning bed. For two!”

Now Nani was intrigued. “Really? And it’s safe?”

Jumba sighed, he didn’t plan on taking this ruse any farther than it already had. “Yes. I noticed how long it takes for people to tan normally by sun, and how it, um.”

“Is dangerous?” Lilo chimed in.

“Yes, dangerous. You earthlings who are naturally tanned from being here so long is one thing, but for, um, us the sun is a lot more dangerous. Pleakley mentioned tanning before and that it was dangerous to use the tanning beds as well so I thought...”

Jumba continued to ramble on, making everything up as he went. Lilo and Stitch stopped paying attention, but the other three kept genuine interest. For once, they thought Jumba was making something practical and not evil, something that could better the future... In reality he was, just not in the way they thought.

Everyone was so fixated on Jumba, that they didn’t notice the two on the floor, sitting back, letting their hands overlap one another’s. They enjoyed the slight touch, letting their fingers intertwine. They both sighed with content, it had been a while since they were forced to pretend like nothing had changed between them. Like they were still only best friends. It wouldn’t be too much longer until that thought would be gone forever. Lilo smiled at the thought of the next evening, when she and Stitch would step out of the machine and be linked together forever. Stitch felt her hand tighten on his, he could almost feel her heart beat through them. Lilo looked at Nani, still oblivious to her and her feelings. It saddened her to know that she had to keep all this hidden. She wanted nothing more than to announce right then and there that she was in love with Stitch. _What would she say? What would she do? She’s so protective of me. She would probably kick Stitch out, tell me to find a human boy to be with._ She looked over at her boyfriend beside her. _You are the one I love Stitch._ As if he had read her mind, Stitch squeezed her hand, making her giggle. They saw heads start to turn and let go of each other quickly.

“So Lilo,” David began, “anything interesting happen with you lately?”

She was still a little flustered from earlier, cheeks turning noticeably red.

“Interesting? Um….” She thought to the last few days. Every moment filled with Stitch and her together. Trying to think of something that was the truth without telling everything she thought of something she could mention. “Well, my hula school is putting on a dance. Like a dance-dance.”

“Really? That’s exciting. Hey, Nani, remember our first dance?”

“Yes I do, it was embarrassing. I felt like I had two left feet.”

“Awe, don’t be like that. I thought you were cute.” David’s comment earned him a punch in the arm from Nani. He rubbed it, pretending that it really hurt to which Nani rolled her eyes.

Wanting his say in the matter, Pleakley budded in. “So do you have a date? Do you need me to make a dress? I’ve been reading some magazines on young girls fashion and I think I could put together an amazing.-“

“I have a dress.” Lilo said, completely cutting Pleakley off. “And I have a date.” She said without thinking.

“Really?” Nani asked, crossing her arms. “Who is it?”

Lilo and Stitch tensed up. _Why did I go and say that? Now what do we do?_ “It’s a boy I met a few days ago, he’s new to the island.”

“And what’s this new boy’s name?”

Lilo couldn’t think of a name, they were so caught up in everything that was happening, she didn’t think to come up with a name for Stitch’s disguise. If she said it was Kenny she would be even more suspicious.

Thankfully, Lilo was saved by David. “Come on Nani, leave Lilo alone, she’s obviously embarrassed now.”

Nani let her guard down, relaxing a little more. “Alright. I’ll drop it for now, but I have to meet this boy before you go out, okay?”

“Okay.” Lilo said with a nervous smile, feeling a little sweat roll off her forehead. _Looks like we’re clear._

“And besides,” David decided to add, “Stitch will keep her safe. Won’t you?”

“Ih! Meega be there.”

“Wow. I’m surprised Kumu will let you go after what you did… last…” Pleakley stopped talking really quick, seeing Stitch glare daggers at him.

Nani saw the look Stitch gave Pleakley, and the sad look on Lilo’s face. “Lilo? Stitch isn’t allowed to go, is he?” She said comfortingly.

“No pets allowed…”

“It’ll be okay sweetie, it’s just one night.”

“Meega going!” Stitch declared. “Meega can’t go in… but meega stay back, make sure Lilo safe.”

Nani smiled. _He is a really good friend. I hope this boy knows what he’s getting into._ “Okay, good. You keep an eye on her, make sure her date doesn’t do anything bad.”

The two smiled and nodded, which was enough for Nani. Before the game continued she grabbed drinks for everyone. Stitch picked up two more pieces of cake and gave one to Lilo. Nani just sat down in time for the two to finish their cakes. Lilo had some frosting on her cheek that she didn’t see.

“Lilo, sweetie. You got some frosting right there.” Nani pointed to her own cheek, Lilo tried to get it off but missed. Stitch saw the frosting and, without thinking, licked it off. Forcing Lilo to giggle. “Eew! Stitch! Don’t do that.”

Lilo quickly replied to her sister, still giggling. “Its okay, Nani. I don’t mind.”

“You always hate when he licks you though.”

“Hey! It’s my turn isn’t it?” The little girl said, trying to change the subject as she grabbed the dice and started her move. Nani was about to question her again when she felt David’s hand on her shoulder. She looked over to him and saw a serious look on his face, one she wasn’t used to seeing. Instead of questioning Lilo, she sat back and relaxed. _I’ve already questioned her enough for one night. She is growing, I guess she’s just getting more mature about things._ Even still, Nani couldn’t help but wonder if Pleakley was onto something earlier.

After another hour, the game was nearly finished. They decided to only play until someone ran out of money, and Stitch was getting very close. With a nervous hand, he rolled the dice, and moved his spaces, slowly. Counting each one as he went. Finally, 11 spaces later, he landed on boardwalk. He looked up to see Pleakley smiling. Stitch fell back and pulled on his face, unable to believe he had lost.

“I won?” Pleakley asked stunned. “I won!” He started to jump up and down in joy, unable to contain his excitement. Stitch was about to leap at the tall alien, but a soft hand on his shoulder stopped them.

“It’s okay.” Lilo told him. “You’ll win next time, for sure.”

Stitch sat back down, grumbling to himself. Jumba threw his cards and money on the table. “Bah, this is dumb game. I’m going to be going back to my lab now.”

“It is getting late.” David said, looking at the clock. “I should be heading home.”

“Oh don’t worry about it David. You can stay here tonight.” Nani told him as she started packing up the game.

“You sure, Nani?”

“Of course. Who else would offer to help clean up?”

“But I didn’t-“He stopped short, seeing Nani raise an eyebrow at him, “I mean of course. I’d love to help.”

David quickly started to grab plates and cups, eager to not be scolded by his girlfriend. Lilo watched them and couldn’t help but smile. She wondered if she and Stitch would ever be like that. She stood up after what felt like hours and stretched. “If we’re not needed for anything else, I think Stitch and I are going to be heading to bed now.”

“Alright sweetie.” Nani kneeled down and gave her a hug good-night. “Get a good sleep. You got hula tomorrow.”

“I know.” She said, hiding the worry from her sister. She knew leaving Stitch at home wouldn’t be an option, but it was just as dangerous for him to be out. Stitch was rubbing his eyes, exhaustion clearly on his face. He worked hard to not act out the entire night. The release earlier and the constant closeness to Lilo helped, but he still needed to keep a constant check on himself.

Lilo took one of his hands as he covered his mouth with the other as he yawned. She led him into the hallway where they quickly ran to the lift. Pleakley, still curious from his earlier deductions stuck his head into the hall, seeing Lilo hug Stitch as the lift took them up to their room. He heard her whisper something to the blue experiment, but couldn’t make out what she had said.

“Hmm. They’re definitely up to something.” Pleakley turned his eye to the seat that Jumba had taken until the end of the game. “I wonder if Jumba has anything to do with it.”

He was about to head to Jumba’s ship and investigate when a demanding, motherly voice called from the kitchen. “Pleakley! Dishes!”

“Fine.” He said as he slumped towards the kitchen.

 

Lilo was brushing her hair, watching Stitch run around the room getting ready for bed. She no longer had to ask him to sleep with her, they didn’t like sleeping apart from each other anymore. To keep from anyone noticing though, Stitch was making it look like his cot had been slept in. He hoped down after ruffling up the covers and de-fluffing the pillow. The two could hear voices coming from below them. Nani and David must still be awake. They couldn’t make out what they were saying, but they heard the words “Lilo,” “boy,” and “dance.”

“I hope we can keep this secret going.”

“Meega sure weega can.” Stitch said, admiring Lilo in the moonlight. He could see the stars reflected in her eyes, making them sparkle more than normal. He smiled his loving smile, one that warmed Lilo’s heart. She loved the way his nose crinkled when he couldn’t hold his grin from spreading across his face.

“You’re right. I think we handled tonight really well.”

“Meega do good?”

“You did great, Stitch.” Lilo got up and put her brush on top of her dresser, carefully moving around the photos they didn’t get a chance to put away. She gasped suddenly, as warm strong arms wrapped around her from behind.

“How good?”

Lilo smiled and wrapped herself in a hug, putting her arms over his. “The best. It was the first time we made it all the way through. I’m really happy we could do this.”

Stitch didn’t reply. He began kissing her back, trailing up to her neck. She could feel each touch of his lips, even through her night gown, and she loved it every time. Reaching the nape of her neck, he stopped, gaining a sigh of disappointment from Lilo. “Youga naga mind when meega lick youga?”

“No-o” She began, losing her voice part way through as Stitch gave her a light lick from her neck up to her ear.

“Meega found youga’s weak point.” Stitch giggled.

Lilo turned with a smirk and tackled Stitch to the ground, the discarded pictures flew around them as they landed with a slight clang. She had his wrists pressed to the ground with her legs on either side of him.

“Don’t act like I’m the only one.” Lilo said as she gave him a deep kiss. She slowly ended the kiss and started to trail pecks up towards his ear.

“Naga nota.” Stitch replied, short of breathe.

“Oh really?” She asked, coyly, making her way ever closer to the tip of his ear. Before he had a chance to reply she started to nibble on the tip. Stitch’s ears had always been extremely sensitive, not just from sounds, but even to the touch. Lilo’s nibble sent shivers throughout his body.

“Ok-etaka.” He gasped. “Youga win.”

“I thought so.” Lilo boasted, helping herself and Stitch back up.

Before she even finished brushing herself off, she heard Nani call from downstairs. “Is everything alright? I think I heard something fall.”

“We’re okay!” Lilo shouted, she looked back at Stitch as he stifled a few giggles. “We’re very much okay.”

They quickly cleaned up some of their mess, so as not to ruin any of their photos. Pushing them aside, Lilo noticed Stitch started to put on his pajamas. She quickly requested that he not wear them to bed. She enjoyed the feeling of his fur too much, and she wanted to be able to cuddle into his warmness as she slept. More than happy to comply, Stitch discarded the clothes onto his cot. The two snuggled together in the warm cocoon of blankets, feeling each other breath. Not a sound could be heard throughout the house.

“Tomorrow’s the big night.” Lilo whispered.

“Ih.”

“Can you promise me something?”

“Gaba isa?” Stitch opened his eyes, finding Lilo staring back at him. His arm tightened around her waist, pulling her as close to him as possible.

“No matter what happens… what happens to me tomorrow? You will still love me.”

“Lilo,” he said tenderly and softly, lightly brushing some of her hair behind her ear, “meega won’t be able to do anything but love youga. Naga matter gaba. Youga will always be youga, and meega will always love youga for it.”

Lilo smiled, tears of happiness forming in the corners of her eyes, making them glisten in the soft light. Even if she didn’t show it, she had been worried since the beginning that something might happen to her. “I’m scared.”

Stitch was shocked. It wasn’t often that Lilo would admit to being scared about anything. “Youga will be oketaka. Meega make sure, Jumba make sure. Naga bad happen to youga. And weega will always be together.”

“And you’ll never go away?”

“Meega never leave youga again.”

Lilo wiped away her salty tears, feeling them start to trickle down her face. “Good.” Her voice was barely a whisper, only Stitch could have ever heard her words. Exhaustion from the day and the sudden rush of emotions, Lilo couldn’t keep her eyes open anymore. Quickly, the two feel asleep in each other’s embrace. Letting the gentle rise of their chests rock them into deep and happy dreams. The entire Pelekai house had finally found its peace.

 


	13. Because of my Mom

Lilo awoke to the sounds of birds filling the air, their beautiful song bringing love and joy to the world all around them. She could still feel Stitch’s warm arm holding her waist tightly, she smiled as she felt safe and protected in his embrace. Her eyes were all watery from her peaceful slumber, wiping it away she could see his face just inches from hers. Stitch’s lips were slightly parted and the steady rise and fall of his chest was soothing. She had never before been so close to Stitch when he was still asleep. Normally he would always fall asleep last and wake up first. Something about face seemed more relaxed than it ever was and the soft morning light making his fur glow made him seem more angelic than before.

 _Thank you shooting star. You really did bring me an angel that day._ Unable to move even if she wanted to, she continued to look at her love lay before her, lost in her thoughts. _Today is the day. Tonight everything will change._ Stitch twitched slightly, moving his arm slowly from her waist up her back. His gentle touch sending sparks throughout her body. She closed her eyes, enjoying his touch. _I wonder what will be the same…what will be different? Will I be different…_ Stitch was beginning to stir more, she could see his eyes darting around under his eyelids, little wrinkles forming in the direction he would look. _I wonder what he’s dreaming about._ She pressed her lips gently to his still parted lips, feeling his warm breath tickle her face.

 

_Darkness. Stitch was surrounded in a never ending darkness. He was only able to see the barren ground just in front of him, his only source of light from a band he could feel around his finger. Not thinking it out of place, he didn’t pay any mind to it. Darting his eyes back and forth he saw another light off in the distance. Straining his eyes as much as he could, he could see Lilo waving to him._

_“Lilo!” Seeing the one he loved through the darkness filled him with joy. He started running to her, slowly at first but speeding up. Not making any distance he dropped to all fours, running as fast as he could._

_“Meega coming!” After what felt like ages he finally reached his smiling girlfriend, something he couldn’t make out was on her left ring finger just like him. He went to pull her into a hug, but the moment he made contact she vanished. “Lilo?”_

_He called out into the darkness as loud as he could. “Lilo?! Where are youga? Weega naga be apart anymore.”_

_Feeling panicked, he suddenly felt his lips begin to tingle, he brought up a hand to touch them and felt nothing but warmth. It was soothing and calmed him down, suddenly the darkness vanished, and leaving nothing but white and what seemed to be a mist. He turned and could see three figures just a few feet in front of him, looking like one human holding a child and an experiment beside them. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t make out who the forms were. Taking a step forward, everything around him started to fade from existence._

 

Stitch’s eyes shot wide open, he could see Lilo in front of him, kissing him, filling him with that same warm calming feeling that was in his dream. He pulled her close, needing to know she was actually there, that this was actually happing.

“Stitch? Everything okay?” Lilo whispered.

“Ih.” He gasped. “Bad dream.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Stitch shook his head no, then quickly changed his mind and nodded. “Alright. You know the drill.”

After a few moments of preparation Stitch was laying on the bed with his hands over his chest, staring up at the ceiling. Lilo sat crossed legged beside him, wearing large glasses and holding a clipboard and pen, ready to take notes as he explained to her what happened.

“Okay, whenever you’re ready.”

“Oketaka. Meega alone. Everything dark. Meega see youga off in distance.”

“Uh-huh, continue.” Lilo’s pencil was flying across the page.

“Meega run to youga, but meega unable to reach. When meega finally do, youga vanish. Meega completely alone.”

“Hmm.” She pressed the end of the pencil underneath her bottom lip. “This doesn’t seem like you’re regular bad dreams…”

“Meega search all over for youga… but meega unable to find youga.”

“And then what happened?”

Stitch brought his hand up, tracing his lips with his finger. “Meega started feeling tingle in lips.”

Lilo quickly blushed, trying to hide it behind the clipboard. _That was probably from me kissing him._ She cleared her throat. “A-anyway, what happened next?”

Stitch thought about it for several moments. _What did happen next?_ He put his hands on his head, rubbing his temples, trying his best to remember what happened next. _I know there was something else…_ After a few more moments he gave up. “Naga nota. Meega naga remember. Feel like something though.”

“Alright,” Lilo began, “this dream of yours is very different from your others.” The young girl hopped off the bed and walked over to her desk, pulling open a drawer. Stitch followed and looked over her shoulder, seeing all the drawings she had made of his past nightmares. She grabbed one of him destroying a building and held it side by side with the new one she made. A picture of him surrounded by nothing but darkness.

“You see?” She said as she lifted each picture respectively. “Normally your nightmares are about you turning bad again. However, this time you dreamt about being alone.”

Stitch nodded his head, hanging off of every word.

“It is my professional opinion that you are worried that something is going to happen to me or you’ll lose me.” Stitch’s ears dropped, feeling a hole open up inside of him.

“Ih.” He whispered, he knew what she said was true. Losing her or something bad happening to her was the last thing in the world he wanted. He couldn’t help but feel like there was more to his dream, something he was forgetting.

“But you don’t have to worry.” Lilo’s words snapped him back to the present, she was putting everything away. “I’m not going anywhere. So you don’t have to worry.”

Lilo smiled and shattered the worry Stitch had held in his heart. Leaving behind nothing but warmth and love. He held her, a silent ‘thank-you’ that Lilo could feel from him. She returned his embrace, believing every word she had said. The two rushed to get ready, seeing they had spent a lot of time going over Stitch’s dream when they should have been getting ready for hula class. Not wanting to waste any time, Lilo changed into her hula costume before leaving, rushing out the door with Stitch on her heels.

“We gotta hurry, Stitch!”

“Ih.”

Stitch tried his best to ignore his instincts inside. They weren’t expecting to go this long before using the machine, and despite the previous night of reprieve, his programming was start to itch at him. His faster than a super computer mind contemplated how to dispose of each individual that they ran past. Before he could attack, he would look at Lilo and take a deep breath. _Keep control for her. Keep…control for her. Why now? Why when we are so close…?_

Lilo could see the struggle Stitch was going through every time she looked back, asking if we was okay every so often.

“Meega oketaka.” Stitch would call. He didn’t want Lilo to worry about him, using the thought that after that day he would never have to worry about it again.

After weaving through the crowds of people, Lilo and Stitch made it to class, not as late as usual. As soon as they entered, the entire room became quiet, Moses was kneeling in front of the girls with his back to the door. Victoria, Myrtle, Theresa, Elena, and Yuki stared at her as she and Stitch approached slowly. Lilo could see Victoria’s eyes flash in sorrow as she looked away. Myrtle, however, had never looked so smug and victorious.

Turning around, Moses addressed the couple directly as he folded some papers and put them in his pocket. “Lilo, I need to speak to you.”

“What is it?”

“Please, come with me.” Lilo was lead back outside where Moses kneeled down to reach her level. “I’m sorry, Lilo, but I cannot allow Stitch to be with us in the class, or around the girls.”

Stitch’s heart sank, he shrank back from the two, feeling a mixed emotion of guilt and anger towards the large man.

“What?” Lilo was devastated. “Why can’t he be in class with me? He’s always been here with me.”

“Myrtle told me what happened yesterday. I can’t have anything that will hurt my students in the class.”

“But Myrtle started it!” Lilo shouted. “She hurt me and Stitch was just trying to protect me.”

“It doesn’t matter, Lilo.” Moses tried to say calmly. “The fact of the matter is that parents have requested that Stitch stay out. I can’t do anything about it. Stitch can stay out here, or he can go home, he just can’t be in with us.”

Lilo looked over at Stitch, she could almost feel the guilt radiate off him as he looked at her with sorrow in his eyes.

“It’s not fair.” She began, trying to stand up for her boojiboo. “He loves class, he loves to dance. Why does Myrtle always have to ruin everything?”

“Now Lilo, she doesn’t ruin everything.” Lilo looked at him, he could see all the memories and pain flash in the young girl’s eyes. He cleared his throat before continue. “Anyway, I’m sorry, but my hands are tied. If you want to continue dancing here I can’t let Stitch back in until the other parents agree that it is okay.”

With that, Moses went back into the dance hall, leaving a crestfallen Lilo and a guilty Stitch behind. Stitch was about to put his hand on Lilo’s shoulder and begin apologizing when she suddenly turned around and hugged him. He could feel tears fall lightly onto his fur.

“I’m sorry.” Lilo whimpered.

“Gaba youga soka for?” He asked, completely shocked. “Isa meega fault. Meega caused this.” He wrapped his arms around her, wanting her tears to fade away.

“No, all you did was protect me and now we can’t dance anymore. I’m sorry Myrtle is ruining everything for us.”

Stitch petted her head soothingly. “Naga.”

“Huh?” She sniffled.

 He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her off him, holding her in place and looking deeply in her water filled eyes. “Meega naga allowed. Youga are. Go, dance.”

Lilo wiped the tears from her eyes. “Stitch, I can’t without you. It’s not fair to leave you out.”

“Meega oketaka. Meega wait here for Lilo. Meega be good.”

“Stitch-“

“Shh.” He put a finger to Lilo’s lips, silencing her words. “Dance is important. Youga so beautiful when youga dance. Meega naga take that away.”

Before Lilo could object any further, he began to push her towards the door. “But Stitch, what about you? Right now it’s best for us to stick together.”

He twitched slightly. He knew she was right, but he knew that even more important than that was Lilo’s love of hula. It was one of the few things she could still share with her mother. “Meega be fine. Meega wait right here.”

“Are you sure?” She asked, filled with concern.

“Ih, youga be just as good as mom!” He replied with a large smile.

 _Mom. Stitch has always been so supportive of my dance._ “Okay,” she began as she turned and gave him a hug. “I’ll go, but if you need me let me know in some way, alright?”

“Ih.” Stitch nodded profusely. She gave him a quick kiss before running into the building. Stitch watched the door close behind her slowly. Through the crack he could see her give Victoria a hug, which she returned sympathetically. The group began to dance just as the door finally closed, separating Stitch from Lilo. He stared at the door, suppressing the instant urge to tear the door down. _No! Meega be good. Meega not cause Lilo more trouble._ In an attempt to suppress his urges, he looked away from the door. Climbing up onto the roof, he took a seat on the peak of the angled building to stare at the rolling waves of the ocean in the distance. Stitch hugged his knees tightly, he rocked back and forth with the ebb and flow of the endless blue water. Each second started to feel like it stretched forever. He knew long before they reached the school that being apart would be torture, and now his fears were being realized. _Please, not too long._ He let one claw fall, subconsciously, he started to draw a circle on the roof with his finger.

 

Just below the blue experiment on the roof, the six girls continued their dance practice. Being a part of the ten to thirteen division of hula, the practice became a lot more intense from when they were still young children. Movements became more complex, pacing became faster, and the need to work together grew tremendously. While most of the girls could work together well, Myrtle was a constant antagonist. Wanting nothing more than to be the absolute best in the group, she continually made things hard for Lilo. Between the constant verbal abuse and the few times Myrtle physically tried to make her trip, Lilo was starting to reach her breaking point. Victoria saw Lilo’s brow furrow as she took a step forward, but managed to reach her before anything happened.

“Wait.” She said as she put her hand on Lilo’s shoulder. “Come on, we get a short break, let’s go get a drink.”

Lilo looked back at Myrtle, arms crossed as if daring her to do anything. Taking a deep breath she turned away and went with her friend to the small kitchen side room to get a glass of water.

“Ugh. I hate her so much.” Lilo shouted. “I just want to take her face, and just, just pound it.” She pounded her own fist into her hand to emphasize her point.

“I know. She would deserve it too. But you can’t.” Victoria handed her a glass of water that she drank greedily. “Normally, I’m sure not much more than a scolding would come from it… But after what Stitch did to her yesterday-“

“That wasn’t Stitch’s fault!” Lilo interrupted her friend. “Myrtle caused all of that, and she wasn’t even hurt afterward.”

“I know that. Stitch knows that. Myrtle knows that. I bet even Kumu knows that. But it doesn’t matter.”

Lilo pressed her back to the wall and slumped to the floor. “He’s been trying so hard.”

Victoria sat down next to Lilo gently. “Has he been any better, did you two get to, you know?”

“No. Jumba was interrupted. We have to make it through the day. I can’t even imagine how he’s feeling right now…”

“If you’re so worried about him what are you doing here then?” Lilo brought her head up, Victoria could see a mixture of pain and happiness radiate from Lilo’s face.

“Because of my mom.”

“You’re mom? What do you mean?”

“My mom was an amazing hula dancer.” Lilo’s tone changed drastically. She talked about her mom in such a tender way, like no bad could ever be said about her. “I know I don’t really talk about my parents much. Really, I don’t remember a whole lot. I was still really young when they had their accident.” She paused for a moment as all the sad memories flooded her. “My dad was the one that taught me the importance of Ohana. Nani says that they really were all about family, even those not related to us were considered a part of it. I guess I kind of got that part of them huh? Mom was the one who started our family fun nights.”

“Oh geez.” Victoria giggled. “We’re they just as crazy back then as they are now?”

“I don’t really know. I can’t remember a whole lot. I just remember feeling like I really belonged. Everyone says I’m a lot like my mom, even Nani says she can see some of her in me. But the biggest thing is dance. Mom was the one who enrolled me in it.”

“Really? I had no idea, I always just thought you loved it.” Victoria thought back to all the dance lessons they shared. No matter what was happening at the time, Lilo would always be smiling greater than anyone when they danced.

“I do. Whenever I’m dancing, I can feel my mom there beside me. I never got to see her dance, nor did I ever get to dance with her, but I know she’s with me. It’s the one thing I know we share, and always will. Stitch knows that. He knows just what dancing means to me. That’s why I’m here, he wants me to be here.”

“I get it. Even if what he did wasn’t his fault, if he had to keep you away from this he would feel awful.” Victoria said in understanding.

“He would. Even before we were together, if he ever did anything that forced me from dancing he would constantly apologize.”

“That sounds like him.” The two laughed together. Victoria now understood how important dance meant to her friend now. She boiled inside knowing what pain Myrtle was causing them all, especially for Stitch right now.

Lilo though, had her mind elsewhere. She was starting to wonder how Stitch was doing alone. The two sat in silence. Lilo thinking about Stitch, feeling her heart quicken, and Victoria about what she had just learned about her friend. Time slowly ticked by, and their break was going to end soon. Feeling they had spent enough time there, Victoria looked to her friend. “I think we should get-“

“You know, this could be the last time I dance.” Lilo stated, rather bluntly.

“What?”

“Stitch and I both understand that things are going to change tonight. Even you mentioned it before, we don’t know what kind of side effects there are going to be on me, or even him. For all we know, after tonight I might not even enjoy hula anymore.”

“I don’t think that could ever happen.” Victoria was about to joke about it, but seeing Lilo’s face turn stone rather than start laughing made her hold her tongue fast. “Could it?”

“We don’t know. We kind of try avoiding it. But I think he knows I could change a lot after tonight. He mentioned my mom because maybe today is the last time I have that feeling of being close to her.”

Victoria was stunned, as much as she wished Lilo could stay the same as she was now, she knew she couldn’t. To make such an important decision so early in life scared her. And here Lilo was, choosing a path that could alter her permanently, even willing to risk death for love. She could feel her own anger rise again, thinking that Myrtle may ruin Lilo’s final chance to spend time with her mom’s memory. _Lilo has done so much for all of us. Some they will never know. She doesn’t deserve this._ “Well, then we can’t let Myrtle ruin this now can we?”

Lilo looked her brown haired friend dead in the eye. She could feel the seriousness in her stare. Her bright blue eyes held strong, unwavering. “No we can’t.”

They were determined. No longer would Myrtle get away with all the trouble she had caused them. _Time to give her some of her own medicine._ Mose’s called them from the other room, and they took off at a run. Ready, not only for dancing, but a little payback.

 

During all this, Stitch was on the roof. Three hours had passed since Lilo started class and he accidently cut a circle into the shingle where his finger constantly circled. Normally full of energy, Stitch could feel his insides tearing away. The programming had started to become too great for him. He could feel sweat flow from his brow, not wanting to move his arms in fear that they would start to pull him towards Lilo. His body started to shake as he continued his internal and external struggle. _Please, not much longer._


	14. Between Us

Stitch was at his breaking point. Unable to contain himself any further, he jumped off the roof and ran towards the forest. On shaky legs, he ran into the street. Just as he stepped onto the opposing sidewalk a large blue car rushed passed and hit Stitch in the side, knocking him forwards into a convenience store wall. Shaking his head he saw a large koala shaped dent in the car on the street, a man getting out shouting angrily. Just over the top of the hood he could see the Hula dance hall Lilo was still in. His heart raced as the need to get to Lilo started to take control. He stood up slowly, trying to fight the urge to run in. Wobbling forward with each step, he suddenly stopped when a splash of water hit his face. The cool liquid pulled him back to his senses as he looked to see the source. A little Hawaiian woman was holding a spray bottle and looked at him angrily. Before she could say anything he turned tail and ran down the street. The world around him began to slow as his head rang from both the car crash and thoughts of Lilo filled his mind. Trying to be anywhere but there, he made a quick right and ran down to the beach. A trail of chaos lay behind him as he ran right into Angel and Reuben.

 

Before Stitch ran off, Lilo and Victoria were passive aggressively getting their revenge on Myrtle. Every time she tried to mess with one of them, they would stop suddenly and the other would get in the way of Myrtle causing her to trip instead. In the final moments of the dance, Myrtle tried one last time to trip Lilo. Determined not to be made a fool of. She moved over just a little, placing her foot right in the path of Lilo’s leg as she stepped forward. Lilo stopped again, just in time, leaving Myrtle stunned. As she turned to finish the dance, she didn’t see Victoria behind her. Once she turned the whole way her leg caught Victoria’s and she tumbled off the stage, arms waving wildly in the air. With a soft thud, she hit the ground below unharmed. All the girls, even Elena, Theresa, and Yuki burst out laughing. Myrtle sat up, adjusting the lei on her head.

“Myrtle!” Moses shouted, running over and kneeling near her. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” She grumbled, crossing her arms.

“You really need to be more careful, Myrtle.”

“But they’re the ones-“

Before Myrtle could finish blaming them, Lilo interjected, kneeling over the edge of the stage. “Yeah, Myrtle. You really need to be more careful. We wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

“Yeah.” Victoria added, just like the trio normally would. All the girls on stage began laughing, causing Myrtle’s face to turn a shade similar to her hair.

“Settle down, girls.” Moses said while standing up. “That’s it for today. Remember, the dance is this Saturday. Victoria, Myrtle, and Lilo,” stressing Lilo’s name so she was sure to listen, “remember no pets are allowed.”

The girls ran off the stage. Myrtle final stood up as Lilo and Victoria walked past her.

“Yeah, Myrtle. No pets.” Lilo called back. Myrtle only stuck her tongue out in defiance. “That felt really good.”

“Yeah it did. We should probably not do that again though.” Victoria added as the laughed on the way out. “Don’t want to stoop down to her level too often.”

“You’re right. We need to be the better person in situations like this.” They stopped and stared at each other and nodded before starting to giggle again. The two quickly changed from their hula outfits into regular clothing. Victoria into her usual t-shirt and shorts, and Lilo slipped on her red mu’umu’u. They quickly headed outside, Lilo called out to Stitch, but when he didn’t answer or show up she quickly grew worried.

 

“Stitch? What are youga doing here?” Angel asked. Stitch just looked around, still in utter panic, unsure of what to do or where to go.

Noticing he was acting oddly, Reuben stepped forth, placing a hand on Stitch’s shoulder. “Hey, cuz. You doing okay?”

Stitch shrank at his touch, unsure of what he might do. “N-naga nota.”

“Where’s Lilo, Stitch?” He shivered at the sound of her name. He looked towards Angel as she said ‘Lilo.’ With great understanding, she quickly pulled Reuben back. “Careful.” She stated.

“Whoa. What’s going on here?” Reuben was really confused.

Stitch answered for himself, trying to gain a bit of control. “Meega naga good right now.” He paused, taking a gulp. “Soka. Meega go. Naga hurt youga.” He took off quickly, leaving them behind. They looked at each other before taking off after him to make sure he didn’t hurt himself.

The gravity of how much his programming had progressed quickly dawned on Angel. Running past broken benches and turned over garbage cans, even running through broken fences. Stitch wasn’t actively breaking things. In his fit for control he constantly ran into things by accident, either knocking them down or destroying them from his sheer force of running.

 

“Stitch!” Lilo continued to call out. “Where are you?”

“Do you think he went home?” Victoria asked, looking around the front of the building.

“No. There’s no way he would have left me. He said he’d wait here.”

The two stopped as they heard panicked shouts come from down the road.

“Oh no.” Lilo whispered. She all but dragged Victoria along with her. As they ran along the destruction and chaos, they couldn’t believe what had happened in such a short time. While nothing seemed to be in complete disrepair, the damage was easy to follow. It didn’t take the two long to catch up to the small pink and yellow experiments.

“Angel! Reuben!” Lilo gasped as she stopped to catch her breath. “Where’s Stitch?”

“We were just chasing after him. I don’t know what happened, he just ran into us and then quickly took off. We’ve been chasing him ever since.” Reuben explained. “Can someone please tell me what’s going on?”

“Naga time.” Angel said. “Lilo. Youga only one who can stop him.”

Lilo nodded in agreement. Angel quickly picked her up and started running full force in the direction Stitch went.

“Here we go again.” Reuben sighed, this was more physical activity than he was used to. Before Victoria could object, he quickly grabbed her and followed after the girls. It didn’t take long for them to find him. Stitch left a pretty distinguishable trail to himself. Reaching the end of the path they were utterly horrified. Before them lay a beach utterly destroyed. Beach umbrella’s torn, snapped or fallen all over. The lifeguard tower was toppled over and beach blankets were left abandoned and torn. It looked like everyone left in mass panic, way more destruction than Stitch could have done in his current state.

Lilo and Victoria were let down and the four of them scoured the beach, trying to find any hint of the small blue experiment. It didn’t take Lilo long to see a crowd of surfer boys and tourists near the shoreline surrounding a small animal, shouting angrily at it. After straining her eyes, Lilo could see through the crowd of legs, Stitch was in the center of them. He was holding himself like he was shivering, as he stumbled back and forth a little. Ears straight down, he was trying not to hear all the shouting.

“I found him.” Lilo called to the others. She ran forward and started calling out to him. “Stitch!”

Hearing the voice of his angel, Stitch looked towards the sound. He instantly started feeling better with Lilo in sight. “Lilo.” He whispered.

“Stitch! I’m here.” As she got closer she felt her arm get grabbed by a strong force. She looked up to see a tall surfer boy holding her back.

“Hold on, little girl.” He said. “That thing is dangerous, you could get hurt.”

“He’s not dangerous!” She shouted, struggling against him. “He needs me! Let me go!”

“I don’t think so. You are going to stay right here, while the others handle this.”

“You don’t understand! Things are only going to get worse if you don’t let go of me!”

The surfer didn’t listen. He was much stronger than her and the others were still on their way over. Stitch struggled to see past the crowd, but when he did the full force of his anger boiled inside him. All he could see was Lilo being held onto by some foreign guy. As she struggled to get out of his grip, Stitch could feel all control he had loosen, and he didn’t care. The threat to his Lilo needed to be disposed of. With a loud growl, Stitch bolted through the crowd knocking everyone in his path down.

Lilo could hear Stitch’s growl. “Oh no.” She tried to escape his grip even harder, but couldn’t. “Let me go now!”

“No way.” He replied, fear tinting his voice. “We need to get out of here.” He began pulling Lilo away, but he didn’t make it far before Stitch was on them. He was like a cannon ball. Launching himself at his foe, as soon as Stitch made contact he let go of the little girl, falling to the ground with the heavy experiment on top of him.

“Naga hurt boojiboo!” Stitch spat in his face, sitting on the man’s chest. The surfer boy was short of breathe, between getting knocked down so suddenly and having the full weight of Stitch on him, it felt like his chest was being crushed. Stitch’s look of anger and disgust terrified him. All he could do was whimper in a fit of terror. Stitch brought a threatening claw up, ready to tear at the one who dared to hurt Lilo.

“Stitch! No!” Lilo pleaded, she could see her voice have an effect on him. However, it didn’t seem like it worked as effectively as it did when he held Myrtle. The other three had finally reached them, unsure of what Stitch would do to them if they got closer. All they could do was stand back and watch the events unfold.  

“Stitch, please!” Lilo shouted, she wrapped her arms around him, hoping that she could stop him. Stitch continued to growl at the man beneath him, unable to direct his anger anywhere else. Victoria looked away, not wanting to see what Stitch might do. Lilo tried to pull Stitch off of him, but couldn’t move him an inch. “Don’t do this.”

Her words reached Stitch, but every time he started to calm down the image of the man below pulling her away surfaced in his mind. No force of nature would stop Stitch from carrying out the destruction of this man. The one who dared touch Lilo, who tried to take her away. His claw came down fast, Angel and Reuben both winced, knowing that it was too late.

“I love you, Stitch.” Lilo whispered.

His claw stopped, just a hair from the man’s throat. Any farther and he would no longer be able to breathe. Permanently. Stitch’s breathing became short and sharp as he started to regain control. Fighting between his need to eliminate the threat, and the need to be good and keep the one he loved happy.  With long, deep breaths, Stitch slowly got off the man, allowing him to breathe once more. Both of them could tell that Stitch was far from okay, but well enough to get out of there.

The three onlookers sighed in relief as Lilo and Stitch made their way towards them. However, they only made it a few steps when the surfer, completely outraged, stood up and stomped towards the two.

“Look out!” Victoria bellowed, just in time for the two to turn around as the man kicked Stitch into the sand as hard as he could.

“What are you doing?!” Lilo started, “We just want to go.”

“This thing!” He spat, pointing at Stitch sitting up in the sand. “Needs to be put down. He caused all of this and nearly killed me.”

“It’s not his fault, I told you to let me go.” Lilo furrowed her brow, eye’s glaring in anger.

“Whatever. It’s just a dumb animal.”

Lilo had had it. She ran up to the man, but before she could do anything he pushed her to the side as he made his way to Stitch. The little blue experiment saw it all happen before him, doing his best to not attack the man once again, watching as he stomped towards him.

Lilo sat up, teeth clenched. She looked over and saw as the man’s foot come crashing down into Stitch once again. “He is not a dumb animal. Get him, Stitch.”

With her permission, Stitch grabbed the man’s foot. Picking him up off the ground entirely, he heard a scream that rivaled Myrtle’s above him. Spinning him around by the foot he threw the man far out into the ocean.

“Aloha!” Stitch shouted as the man splashed down into the water near some fishing boats. Before he could turn around he felt Lilo grab him, kissing the back of his head.

“You okay?” She asked softly.

“Ih. Weega best get to Jumba though. Naga nota how long meega keep control.”

“Alright.” With that, Stitch picked her up, bride style, and started running home. Leaving their three friends behind.

“We should go after them.” Victoria stated, and the others nodded in agreement. Angel picked her up as well and they started running as fast as they could.

“Now can someone explain to me what’s going on, please?” Reuben asked between breathes. “Did I hear Stitch call her his boojiboo? And did she say she loves him?”

“Yes.” “Ih.” The two girls answered at the same time. They looked at each other, realizing they both knew. They began to explain everything that Lilo and Stitch had told them. Starting with when they got together all the way to the present, going over as much detail as they could during the run.

“So let me get this straight. They fell in love, and because of that Stitch has gone all crazy in a need to protect and be with her, and the only way to make this all better is to put them in a machine that may or may not hurt Lilo?” Rueben said exasperated.

“Ih.”

“And you’re both okay with this?”

“It’s the only way.” Victoria shot at him.

“I understand that. But I mean with their relationship.”

“What youga mean?” Angel asked. “Are you upset that they’re together?”

“Of course not. I love ‘em both. But the whole different species thing doesn’t fly well here on Earth, not to mention the existence of aliens being kept under wraps. You see what I’m saying? If it gets let out who knows what would happen.”

“That’s why they’re keeping it a secret.” Victoria stated. “They know full well that Nani would probably separate them if she found out. It’s up to us to make sure it doesn’t happen. For their sake.”

Reuben kept his mouth shut. _It’s not Nani I would be worried about._ “Well, I’ll keep my mouth shut. Right now I just want my cuz to get better.”

The three continued chasing after the couple. Seeing Stitch just ahead of them. They couldn’t keep up at this point, Stitch was slowly leaving their sight. Knowing where to go though made it easy to follow.

 

Lilo and Stitch burst through the ship, running as quickly to the lab as they could. Seeing the locked door, they banged their fists against it, needing Jumba to be finished working on the machine. The door slid open to reveal a very tired alien.

“What’s going on? Little girl! 626! I was just to call-“ he trailed off. Seeing Lilo all disheveled and Stitch clutching at his sides as he shook, trying to get control. Jumba instantly understood what was going on. “Are you two both being okay?”

“Yes. But we need to hurry! I don’t know how long Stitch can hold on.” Lilo said with tears forming in her eyes. Just then, Angel, Reuben, and Victoria ran into the lab. All gasping for breath.

“624, 625, and other little girl? What are you-? Never mind. We do not be having of the time. 626 won’t be able to hold on much longer. I am just about done. Everyone hurry inside.”

Stitch could barely walk straight, he felt his control slowly slipping and he didn’t know what to do. The others made it into the room just as the door closed. Jumba ran to his machine, throwing his goggles back on. Sparks began flying from the back of the machine once Jumba was out of view.

“It is almost ready, I just need a little more time. However, we do not have that luxury. From my calculations 626 will lose control any second.” Jumba called from behind the machine. He started directing everyone to their places. “Little girl, 626. Each of you must get in a pod now. It doesn’t matter which. Once they are set, other little girl, please push the blue button on the bottom of the pods. 625, 624. I need you to help keep 626 in the pod. I am hoping you two will be strong enough to hold him.”

“Why do they need to hold him?” Lilo asked as she and Stitch each laid down on the cool metal of the pod. Just as she set her head down, Victoria pressed the button, causing metal clasps to appear locking her wrists and ankles in place. She winces slightly as little needles in each one pricked her skin.

Victoria pressed the button on Stitch’s pod, causing the same thing to happen. Realization set in once he knew Lilo felt the same pain and he began to lash out. Angel and Reuben held him fast, trying to match his strength.

“I don’t know what you were thinking, doc. But I don’t know if we’ll be able to hold him long.” Reuben shouted, using more of his super strength than he ever did before. He was able to hold three thousand times his weight, just like Stitch. However, the state Stitch was in now was just as strong as him and Angel combined. If they let up for a second, Stitch would break free and all would be lost.

After a few moments, Jumba burst from behind the machine and ran to the console.

“It’s finished!” He shouted. “On my mark, everyone clear away from the pods.” He began to type furiously on the keyboard, setting all the code and commands needed to carry out the procedure.

“One.” Victoria backed away, unable to do anything.

“Two.” Angel and Reuben winced and strained as they fought the strength of Stitch.

“Three.” Lilo looked over at Stitch, knowing that this was it. All or nothing. No matter what happens to her, she needed to know he was going to be okay.

“I love you.” She whispered, not sure if Stitch could hear her. She thought she heard him whisper, “I love you too,” but she couldn’t tell over all the sounds around them.

“Now!” Jumba commanded as he hit the final button on the computer console. Angel and Reuben jumped back just as the clear glass of the pods closed, completely encasing them in their own little bubble. With a soft glow and a bit of gas, the two became instantly tired and fell into a deep slumber. “That is it. Now all we do is wait.”

The four walked around to meet each other in the middle of the machine. Some looking at Lilo, the others at Stitch.

“So will Lilo be okay?” Victoria asked as Lilo’s form became harder and harder to see through the soft glow and mist.

“She will survive.” Jumba stated matter of factly.

“Will there be any side effects?”

“If there are, there will be no way of telling what they will be until after. Once the process is done, I will do a full check and see that they are both okay.”

“Both?” Angel said, turning to Jumba completely shocked.

Reuben also turned to him, putting a hand on Angel’s shoulder. “You mean to say Stitch might also be affected by this.

Jumba walked away from the three of them, contemplating how he should put his explanation. “The process was never meant to be done on humans. I only designed it for you, my experiments. From the changes I had to make, they will both come out alive, that is guaranteed. However, what this will do to them, I cannot say. All I know is, their genetics are changing. The bond they formed will be stronger than ever, and nothing will change how they feel for one another. Aside from that, no one can say.”

With that, Jumba left the lab, yawning. The three stayed behind, determined to be there for their friends once they awoke. All mentally agreeing that these two needed them, now more than ever.

“We keep this between us.” Victoria whispered.

“Yeah.” “Ih.” The two experiments nodded in agreement. They all sat against the pods, hoping that their friends could feel that they weren’t alone in this, not knowing how long they would have to wait.


	15. Rings

Lilo could feel herself floating. Or, rather than floating, it was more like drifting. Drifting through space without a care in the world. _Am I dreaming? No…_ She thought back, trying to remember what had happened to her. She couldn’t remember going to sleep at all. All of a sudden she felt a familiar shock. However, she didn’t feel pain. She could feel the shock center around her wrists and ankles. _I’m in the machine!_ Frantic images began flooding her mind. Angel and Reuben rushing passed her to hold a struggling Stitch down. Victoria moving away from her. Stitch struggling with all his might. Then finally, the glass coming down, encasing her. _Is Stitch okay?_ Try as she might, she was unable to move. The shock earlier started to get more intense. What she couldn’t feel at all earlier, quickly started to tickle.

Completely unprepared, she started to feel the sensation spread throughout her body. When, normally, she could feel nothing in her dreams, now she could feel everything.  Then she noticed she was unable to move, trapped in a single position. Even within the vast darkness, her senses heightened. She could feel the metal of the pod against her skin, her clothing draped over her body, the gas that filled the tube blowing around her. Everything. The tickle grew, starting to grow and grow into a sensation she couldn’t describe. Quickly it began hurting, only slightly. She felt like her entire being was slowly being stretched from the inside out. _What is this? What is going on?_ She had thought many times about what it meant to have her genetics changed, but she didn’t think she would actually feel it. As the feelings continued to grow, everything suddenly began to feel tight.

All of a sudden, what was a vast empty void was filled with colours. A mess of a rainbow flowing freely around her. As her senses heightened, she could feel her own heart pump, her breathing echoing throughout the space. The stretching feeling hit a climax, feeling herself pulled as far as she could go. She thought she was about to break when one final shock hit her system and suddenly it was gone. No longer feeling stretched she finally relaxed, wondering if the process was over. _Is that it? I hope that’s it._

She felt different, yet the same, but the void didn’t end. She stayed stuck in space. What was once a single heartbeat, suddenly became two beats. A steady rhythm surrounding her. Two breathes forming into one. Feeling more and more in touch with the foreign sound, her own heart began to sync with hers. _What’s happening now?_

Then, what she least expected to happen did. A voice that wasn’t her own replied back to her.

 _“Who isa there”_ The voice asked.

 _“I’m the one who asked first.”_ She huffed.

A pause was shared between her and the disembodied voice.

 _“Lilo?”_ The voice asked, confusion and concern surrounding the voice. It didn’t take long for her to recognize he tone and voice.

_“Stitch?”_

_“Ih!”_ He replied, enthusiastically. _“Why youga in meega’s head?”_

_“I’m not. You’re in mine.”_

_“Naga. Meega in pod… meega thinks… feels like dream. Youga have to be in meega’s head.”_

_“But I am too. Could we be reading each other’s thoughts?”_

Stitch paused for a moment. _“Isa must be because of machine.”_

 _“That’s right.”_ Lilo began. _“Jumba said that our genetics would be re written to lock our love for one another. If that’s the case, then that’s what’s happening now. Because of it we are being connected right now and are sharing the experience.”_

 _“Lilo? How did you know that? That’s what I was figuring it was.”_ They were both surprised. However, Lilo was more surprised over Stitch than her sudden burst of knowledge.

_“Stitch. You just spoke English perfectly.”_

_“I did?”_ Stitch was shocked at himself. _“I am. How am doing this?”_

_“It must be the machine… right now we’re connected, I know what you know and you know what I know.”_

All at once the two were flooded with memories. Their heads burned and rang out, causing them to scream from the sudden rush and pain. It felt like their heads were about to explode as images flooded before them. It wasn’t just the images they could see and feel, it was also the emotions.

Stitch could see the moment Lilo heard of her parent’s death, feeling the udder sadness and despair washing over him. Jumping to all the torment Lilo endured as she slowly lost her friends, feeling the darkness close in around him, unable to do anything to stop it. Then he saw himself, falling from the sky. Feeling hope as Lilo wished for an angel to be brought to her. Then their first hug, back in the dog pound. Feeling the happiness and wonder of finally having a friend. The years rushed by him, as he saw and relived all their time together. The happiness, the worry, the pain, the wonder and excitement. All the way to the moment he told her he loved her. He saw himself on the beach, as the warm sun warmed each and every word, feeling the love inside himself rise at the realization. All the images brought his mind pain, but it also brought him happiness.

Lilo was experiencing the same thing. All the shock and pain racked her mind as Stitch’s memories filled her fast. She experienced the heart ache of Angel leaving him, but the sudden realization of his feelings for Lilo, warming him from the inside out. She saw the care and planning he put in the two months of preparation for the fateful day of when he was to tell her his feelings. The worst and best of all, she felt the pain Stitch went through as his programming took over. She became Stitch, protecting her from Angel, holding Myrtle up out of anger. Finally, she was over the surfer boy, her claw raised ready to tear his throat out in pure anger. She was ready to carry it out, until she felt her own arms wrap around her, and with them, more security than she ever felt in her young life. Then nothing. The pain was finally over.

_“Did you feel that?” Lilo asked, strained._

_“I did,” he began, regaining himself, “I saw-“_

_“Everything.”_ Lilo finished his sentence. They could still feel their connection growing. Quickly Lilo could feel not only everything around her body, but Stitch’s as well. She giggled at the feeling of the fur on Stitch’s body as it warmed her. Able to suddenly smell the other’s scent, they sighed in comfort.

The tingling feeling surfaced once again, not brining pain with it though, thankfully.

 _“I wonder how long this connection will last.”_ Lilo stated after a few minutes. She waited for a few moments, hearing nothing but silence _. “Stitch?”_

When he didn’t answer, she concentrated as hard as she could. _“Stitch! Are you still there?”_ Try as she might she couldn’t hear him anymore, and his heartbeat and breathing were farther away than they were before.

Meanwhile, Stitch was experiencing the same thing. _“Lilo? Are youga there?”_ He paused. _“Youga? Meega can’t speak English perfectly anymore…”_

While their mental connection had finally been severed, they could still feel one another. Far off, yet close. Everything around suddenly went black. Stitch had a strong sense of déjà vu. No longer floating, Stitch felt his feet touch a cold ground and he began looking around himself frantically. Off in the distance he saw Lilo waving to him.

 _“Lilo?”_ He whispered, before calling out to her. He could still see her waving at him and he began running to her.

 _“Stitch!”_ She yelled to him. _“I’m over here! Can you see me?”_ She saw him begin running over to her and felt herself fill with joy. Rather than just watching him, she could feel as he got closer. As if something was drawing them together like a strong magnet. Right as he reached her, she wrapped her arms around him only to have them grasp empty air.

 _“What?”_ She looked at her empty arms. _“Where did he go?”_

Suddenly, everything around her went white, causing her to wince. The world suddenly filled with a fog, making it hard to see anything around her. Straining her eyes, she could see a small blue experiment in front of her.

 _“Is that you, Stitch?”_ She shouted, however she didn’t receive an answer. She felt something wash over her and she looked down at herself, suddenly taller. In her arms was a small child, face blocked by the fog. She could also feel something clinging to her leg. Despite the foreignness of it all, she didn’t feel like it was out of place. Almost like everything was right with the world. Only one thing was missing. _“Stitch.”_

She saw the blue figure in front of her take a step forward, causing her to smile. However, he vanished again. Leaving her completely and utterly alone with the two figures she could not see by her. Slowly, everything around her began to slowly fade away until she was once again in a void on her own.

 

The sound of the two pods opening filled the room. Victoria, Angel, and Reuben rushed over, seeing their friends begin to stir.

“Someone go get Jumba!” Victoria demanded, feeling Lilo’s forehead to check if she had a fever of any sort.

“I’m on it.” Reuben stated as he ran out of the room as quickly as he could. As they heard the door shut they continued tending to their friends. Lilo and Stitch’s eye lids began to flutter open as they tried to sit up. Each one stumbling a bit as they adjusted to being back in a physical space.

Victoria helped up Lilo, holding her around the back to support her weight, as Angel did the same for Stitch.

“Are you okay?” Victoria asked, concern filling her tender voice.

“I think so.” Lilo replied, rubbing her head a little. “Is Stitch okay?”

She could feel Victoria freeze on her, realizing that if the machine didn’t work Stitch would more than likely tear her apart for having her hands on Lilo. Looking over, they saw Stitch shake his head trying to clear it. He slowly blinked as he rubbed his eyes, focusing on the three in front of him.

“Are you okay, Stitch?” Lilo asked as she tried to stand up.

Stitch just looked at her, then to Victoria. His eye’s trailed down Victoria’s arms to the points where they held onto Lilo. Where anger or fear would take over before, now he felt calm. “Ih. Meega feel great.”

Angel and Victoria sighed in relief, but Lilo began to beam. She was absolutely ecstatic that Stitch was finally okay. That in the end, they were able to pull through another trial of their relationship. And now, nothing could destroy their love for each other.

Still on shaky legs, the two girls helped the couple make it over to each other. Slowly, they started regaining their composure. As they got closer, the easier it was for them to walk on their own. They could feel that connection again, that pull like a magnet. Once they could they pulled each other in a strong hug, anyone who tried would never be able to make them part. The sound of the door sliding open quickly grabbed the fours attention.

“Little girl! 626! I am glad to be seeing you awake!” Jumba said as he rushed in with a great smile. He picked them both up and twirled them around in a great hug.

“Heehee. Thank you Jumba. For everything. Now we don’t need to worry anymore.” Lilo stated with a great smile on her face. Jumba set them down and directed everyone out of the room.

“Come now. We need to be doing a full check to make sure you are perfectly healthy.” After shooing the four out, he turned to his machine once again. Going to each pod’s smaller round dome, he quickly opened them and grabbed the object that lay inside. Placing them in his pocket, he joined the others enthusiastically. “Okay you two, step on this scanner.”

Jumba motioned towards a pad in the corner of the lab. It looked like one of the transport devices they’ve seen on ships, only there was no place for a pod to come down. They cautiously stepped on, hoping it wouldn’t hurt. Suddenly, a ring around the pad started to slide up, a bright light shining on them. The two shielded their eyes from the bright light until the ring finally slid back down.

“There. You are being finished.” Jumba told them as they hoped off. “Now I will just be analyzing the data.” He started to type furiously on a nearby computer. After a few moments he stood up triumphantly.

“Ahahaha!” He boasted loudly. “It was being a success.”

“So there’s no side effects?” Victoria asked, over joyed. The other four also started to smile, looking towards each other with great glee.

“Yes. There are some lasting effects.” Jumba stated, bringing down everyone’s morale. “However, it is nothing to be being worried about.”

“What are they?” Stitch asked, putting his arm around Lilo’s waist, holding her close.

“Well, that was one of them.” Jumba pulled over a chair and sat in front of the five small forms. “626, little girl. I’m sure you two experienced a lot while the process took place, yes?”

They both nodded in agreement.

“What you experienced was your genetic code being re-written. However, it was not just being re-written all willy-nilly. In order for the machine to work it re-writes the genetic code with each other. That is how the permanent bond is formed. Normally, that wouldn’t be an issue for experiments, but for a human it could have literally be tearing you inside out. Thankfully I was able to alter it and make it safe, now you two will be being connected forever.” He looked completely proud of himself.

Reuben stepped forward, interrupting Jumba’s rant about his greatness. “That’s all well and good, but you didn’t actually say what the side effects are.”

“Ah, yes.” Jumba replied. “I was getting to that. So. Since your genetics were altered with each other’s, you each have a lasting impression in your DNA. Little girl has a little bit of 626, and 626 has a little bit of little girl. So as you heard earlier, 626’s English is being much better. While not on the level of say 625, you should be as good almost as 624. Also, it appeared that you will now have a growing process similar to that of little girl. While never reaching her in height, you will be getting a little taller.”

“What about me?” Lilo asked. “I don’t feel any different.”

“Of course not, 626 probably does not either. The change is on a molecular level, too small to feel. You little girl have been affected differently. While nowhere near 626 in greatness, your strength and speed are now exceeding anything you could have hoped to reach before. Including reflexes. However, I’m sorry to say your growth will be stunted. While you will grow like normal, your life span is more like that of an experiment. You and Stitch will live just as long. Whether that is good or bad is your decision. However, you will not be as tall as you were when you aged up that one time a few years ago.”

“I think that’s okay.” Lilo stated positively. “I mean, we don’t really have any choice now do we?”

“Nope.” Victoria said as she pulled Lilo into a great hug. “I’m just glad you’re still you.”

“I am too.” She whispered, returning the hug.

“There is one more thing.” Jumba said as he put his hand into his pocket. He made his way to Lilo and Stitch. “Put out your hands.”

They did as he asked and he placed a small object in each of their hands. Looking down they saw he had placed a small ring on their palms. Each was very different from the other. In Lilo’s hand was a small ocean blue wedding band like ring. Around the band was a lighter blue line with a gap at the top. If Lilo titled the ring just right, she could see “626” engraved lightly into the metal. In Stitch’s hand was a thin ring, entirely red with white in the middle, the metal wrapped around up top forming the name “Lilo.”

“It’s Stitch.” Lilo whispered.

“Isa Lilo.” Stitch replied.

Jumba looked between the two as they placed their new jewelry on their left ring fingers. “That is right. A part of the machine is that it creates a ring based off of the ones inside.”

“It’s warm.” The little girl stated as she looked at the ring on her finger.

“Yes. It is because they are being connected to the life force of the one they were made from. They will always be connected to one another, and if you two are ever separated you can follow their pull to find one another.”

“So weega never apart?” Stitch asked, playing with the ring on his finger.

“Exactly. Just make sure you never are taking it off.” Jumba stated.

“Why?” Lilo asked just as she pulled it off. Stitch suddenly yelled as a searing pain shot through his body, making him fall to the ground. “Stitch!”

“Put the ring back on!” Jumba shouted. Once Lilo placed the ring back on her finger, the pain ended, allowing Stitch to start standing back up weekly, clutching at his heart.

“What was that?” Angel shouted, rushing to Stitch’s side just as Lilo helped him back up.

“Felt like entire body on fire. Heart almost felt like tearing.” He panted.

“That is the small price of all of this.” Jumba stated sadly. “You need the rings to complete the process, however they can never be taken off. If you do, you break the connection. It doesn’t reverse the process, but it will greatly pain the individual. If exposed to the pain for too long, they’re heart will completely break.”

“How long?” Reuben asked, trying to do the calculations in his own head.

“I would be giving it about a week.” Jumba told them. “Just never be removing them.”

“I won’t. I’m so sorry, Stitch.” Lilo pleaded, holding him tightly while kissing the top of his head.

“Isa okay. Meega fine now.” He pressed his forehead against her, lovingly.

After several minutes of Lilo and Stitch explaining what it was like in the machine to their friends. Victoria and Angel started yawning and stretching.

“I think it’s time for me to head home.” The brown haired girl said as she rubbed her eyes. “I’m sure my mom missed me after these last few days.”

“What?” Lilo and Stitch shouted together.

“What do you mean a few days?” Lilo asked her friend.

“You two were in there for almost three whole days.” Reuben told them.

The two just stared at them in disbelief. Stitch was the first say something. “Youga stayed with us the whole time?”

“Yeah. We decided from the beginning that we couldn’t leave you two.” Victoria replied while giving them each a hug good-bye.

After Lilo and Stitch were able to give their thanks and said they’re good-byes, their friends finally started making their way home. Hand in hand the two made their way down the trail to their house, wondering what they were going to do if Nani asked them where they were. Or where they got their rings.


	16. A Whole New Sensation

Lilo didn’t make it five steps into the house before Nani quickly ran to her and gave her a warm strong hug. “Oh, Lilo. Is everything alright?”

“Yeah.” Lilo said, a little confused by her sisters sudden embrace. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

Brushing a tear out of her eye, Nani moved back a little. “Why? Jumba told me the Grand Council Woman suddenly called you as Ambassador on an urgent matter.”

“He did?” Lilo wasn’t sure what was happening. _Did I miss something these last few days?_

“Yes. Why are you so confused? Is something going on?”

Lilo quickly realized that Jumba must have made an excuse for her absence while they were in the machine. “No, no. I just didn’t think Jumba would tell you is all. Um, it was nothing. There was just, this uh, meeting that Stitch and I had to go to. All the Ambassadors from all the planets were there.”

“Really? Just a meeting?” She asked, rather doubtful.

“Yeah-huh. It was really boring. But I got to meet this really cool alien. He had an octopus for a head!”

“Well as long as everything was okay. I just wish they would tell us before suddenly rushing you away like that.”

“Sorry, I’ll be sure to let you know next time.” Lilo said, putting on as much of a guilty face as she could. “Or you could come!”

“I don’t think so. Space isn’t for me.” Nani stood up and dusted her rolled up pants off. “But you reek, Lilo. You too, Stitch.” She waved her hand in front of her nose, trying to get rid of the smell. “Both of you. Bath. Now.”

The two began to run to the hall when a glint of light reflecting off of Lilo’s finger caught Nani’s attention. “Wait, Lilo. What’s that?”

Lilo turned to her sister when Nani grabbed her hand to get a look at the ring. She silently hoped she didn’t see “626” printed on it. At the same time, Stitch began ruffling his fur around his ring to hide it from view.

“It’s a ring.” Lilo stated matter of factly while pulling her hand away.

“I can see that. Where’d you get it?”

“I got it from, um, the United Galactic Federation? Yeah. They gave all the ambassadors rings representing their planets. See?” She said while lifting her hand, trying to hide the numbers slightly. “It’s blue because of the oceans on Earth. I guess we have more water than most planets or something.”

“Well, make sure to keep it safe then.” Nani told her.

“I will!” Before Nani could notice the ring on Stitch’s hand as well, the two ran to the bathroom. Lilo, unable to keep control of her speed ran right past the door and stopped herself just inches away from the opposing wall. Stitch stood by the door, amazed at how much faster Lilo was.

“That was close.” He sighed.

“Yeah. It really was. I’m going to have to get used to this.” She stated while looking down at her hands. Stitch motioned for them to get into the bathroom before anyone else came by to question them.

The rest of the evening went smoothly. Lilo didn’t have any issues with her speed and strength. However, she knew she would have to practice keeping it in check. Once they were alone in their bedroom they started to discuss what had happened to them in the machine. Both could clearly remember sharing the same experiences. The instances of memories flooding each other. Essentially they had lived each other’s lives in what seemed like mere moments.

“I guess it wasn’t as short as we thought.” Lilo stated as she slipped on her night gown.

“Naga. It was like it was a dream or something.” Stitch replied getting the room all ready.

“I guess I saw that nightmare you had the other day then too, didn’t I?”

“Ih. Meega felt like I had more control in it, but I also knew what was going to happen.”

Lilo thought about the dream for a moment. She could feel the sense of being alone and loss. Even while she was connected to Stitch, she felt like she was alone. Empty. Like a piece of her was missing. Then a different feeling took its place.

“Everything went white.” She whispered, thinking out loud.

“White?”

“Yeah.” She said more confidently. “Everything was white, then I no longer felt alone. Didn’t you feel it?”

Stitch had to rack his brain to remember. It felt like he was just missing something, like reaching a memory that was just out of his grasp. “I think meega do. I remember…”

It hurt him to think so hard, like his brain was trying to keep him away from it. “Meega remember seeing someone. Or, maybe more?”

“I was holding something. Or someone.” Lilo brought her arms up, like she was holding something precious and fragile in them. Her hand quickly flew to her leg as she felt like something was grasping her. “Then I saw someone away from me. I couldn’t quite make them out.”

“Then the moment I tried to reach them-“Stitch began.

“Everything disappeared.” They both finished, feeling goose bumps run over their bodies. Slight shivers catching them.

“Maybe weega have them again. See more next time.” Stitch stated, trying to shake the odd feeling off of him.

“I still can’t believe we were in there for three days! That must mean it’s,” Lilo began counting on her fingers, sounding out each day. “It’s already Thursday! We missed so much hula.”

“Youga will be okay. Youga are a really good dancer, you know.” Stitch felt her come up behind him and wrap him in a hug. She squeezed him a lot harder than she ever could before, but it didn’t hurt him one bit.

“Thanks, Stitch.” She gave him a kiss on the back of the head. “But I still have a lot to learn if I’m ever going to be as great as mom was.”

Stitch turned in her embrace and wrapped his own arms around her waist. He looked up into her eyes and drifted in for a soft kiss. “You’ll make it there. Only a matter of time.”

“I just wish you could be in class with me.”

“Meega sure I’ll be able to someday. For now, I’ll just have to wait. It’ll be worth it.” He said with an understanding smile that warmed Lilo’s heart.

The two continued their nightly routine, until one more thing crossed Lilo’s mind. “If tomorrow’s Friday, then that means we’re just one day away from the dance!”

She quickly rushed to her closet. Throwing the doors open, she pushed aside her colorful mu’umu’us until she found what she was looking for. A nicely placed blue bag from the Kokui Grove mall. She opened it carefully and pulled out her new dress. Still blown away by the beauty of it, she carefully hung it up so it wouldn’t be wrinkled on the big night.

“Meega suppose we need to get me looking good too.” Stitch’s words sounded slightly worried. In all of the commotion, they completely forgot about making Stitch’s disguise for the dance.

“That’s right! What are we going to do?”

“Meega ask Jumba in morning. Meega sure he can make a photo for Morpholomew to use and make me human.”

“Okay.” Lilo agreed. “Just be careful that neither Nani nor Pleakley find out about it.”

“Ih. No problem.”

 

True to his word, Stitch confronted Jumba the next morning. He requested an image to be made for his cousin to change him into.

“Number 316? What would you be needing him to change you for?” Jumba asked while taking a bite out of his toast.

“Meega Lilo’s date tomorrow. I can’t go like this though. Weega thought that he would be able to transform me.”

“Ah. Now I am understanding.” Jumba nodded his head as crumbs feel out of his mouth lightly. “No problem. Compared to fixing that machine, this will be nothing. You will be having your picture tomorrow. Any preference on appearance.”

Stitch never really thought of it, his mind was occupied in other places. He quickly decided that he didn’t care what he looked like, as long as he was with Lilo. Right before telling his big creator not to worry about it, words suddenly rushed up in his mind.

 _“Voting for best couple!” The challenge! I can’t let Lilo lose after all of this._ Wanting nothing more than to see Lilo happy, Stitch changed his mind on the matter. “Make meega look amazing. I want to blow Lilo and everyone away.”

“Really?” Jumba’s eyes grew wide. “I am amazed such a thing would matter to you.”

“Myrtle challenged Lilo. Best couple at the dance wins.”

“Annoying earth girl did?”

“Ih.”

“Well then,” Jumba said as he stood up, brushing crumbs off of his Hawaiian print shirt. “We best blow them out of water, yes?”

“Ih.” Stitch’s smile reached ear to ear. His eyes half closed from the smile and from the anticipation of completely destroying Myrtle’s expectations. Stitch heard the three feet of Pleakley start to enter the room, so he quickly made his leave while Jumba feigned innocence by whistling.

Silence washed over him as well as a sigh of relief as he made his way back to Lilo in their bedroom. As soon as the lift reached the top, he saw Lilo turn around in her hula outfit and his jaw dropped. _Why have I never noticed before?_ He was absolutely captivated by her. The sway of the grass skirt, and the lei’s accentuating each movement of her wrists and feet. He had seen her in her hula outfit for years, but even though he loved her dearly, he never really took the time to notice just how beautiful she was in it. The machine unlocked a new part inside him, one that appreciated every little thing in his life. Lilo hadn’t yet noticed him as she was still getting ready, and Stitch could feel his cheeks redden like he rediscovered his first crush.

“Hey, Stitch.” Lilo said without turning to look at him. She was packing away clothes into a small bag. “Did you talk to Jumba?”

“Ih.” Stitch made his way over to her, his heart was pumping so loud he was sure Lilo would be able to hear it. “How did youga know I was here?”

Lilo turned around as she swung the bag over her shoulder, seeing Stitch was just inches from her. She instantly became flustered and wasn’t sure why the feeling suddenly came over her. “I don’t know… I just sort of felt you.”

 Stitch grabbed her hand, tracing his ring on her finger, feeling the warmth radiate from it. A constant feeling that he himself also shared on his own finger from her ring. The connection made their hearts quicken. They didn’t know what kind of affect would happen once they used the machine, but they certainly didn’t hate it.

Lilo could slowly feel herself draw closer to Stitch. Wanting nothing more than to feel his lips against hers. Feeling his embrace, feel his love, feel that passion she knew must have multiplied just like her’s had. Right before their lips were to meet, the alarm on the side table started ringing.

Stitch cursed the clock for stealing away his moment, as Lilo quickly ran to it to turn it off. “We’re late, Stitch. We’re going to need to take the buggy today.”

“Alright.” Stitch said disappointedly, sulking his was over to the lift.  Before he reached the round platform he felt a small breeze of wind rush by as Lilo kissed his cheek and started down the lift.

“There’ll be plenty of time for that later, boojiboo.” She called up to him as he stood there from shock, slowly watching her disappear from his sight.

A new found playfulness coursed through him as his heart began to race again. _I really have fallen in love all over again._ Shaking himself out of the daze he jumped down the lift, landing with a soft clang, and ran to the buggy as fast as he could. Lilo was already standing there, however he noticed something was off. Tilting his head a bit he got a better view or Lilo, standing there with the door in her hand, no longer attached to the buggy.

“Gaba happened?” He asked worriedly, her face showing a mixture of shock and amazement.

“It just came off.” She stated, her voice matching her facial expression. “I pulled to open it and it just came off. It doesn’t even feel heavy.” To further her point she repeatedly lifted it over her head, swinging it around a bit.

“Jumba was right. Youga did get some of my speed and strength.”

“So this is what it’s like for you? How do you not just tear everything apart?”

Stitch laughed as he took the door from her, letting her sit in her seat before he placed the door back on, using his saliva as a bit of an adhesive until they could get it fixed properly. “Practice.”

He thought back to his first time on Earth, learning not to just destroy everything in his wake. To put love and care into his touch. It didn’t take long for Lilo to push into his mind, standing there beside him all those years ago, teaching him to be a model citizen. “Motivation doesn’t hurt as well.”

“Motivation?” She asked. Stitch giggled at the confused face she was making. _She’s too adorable._

“Don’t worry about it, boojiboo. Weega make sure you get used to it.” He quickly hopped into his seat and then they were off to class. Once again they were enjoying the cool breeze rush past them.

“Good. Because I certainly don’t want to break everything by accident.”

Lilo hadn’t really thought about it, but feeling the cold Hawaiian air flow through her hair made her realize that she felt a lot different. It wasn’t just strength and speed that was new. Her senses were heightened. _Everything feels so wonderful._ She thought as a shiver ran down her spine from the new sensations. Wonderful tropical smells wafted throughout the air. Each flower, tree, and fruit reached her and brought beauty to everything. _I’ve lived here all my life, and I’ve never really noticed all of this._ The rays of the sun warmed her body, giving her the feeling of a soft blanket warming her on a cool day. Normally the heat would make her at least a little uncomfortable, but this was different. It wasn’t hot, it was just there. That was the best way she could describe all the feelings. Sound, smell, touch, and sight. Everything made her feel and see the world around her differently, and the best way to describe it was that it was just there. She could truly see the world for how it was, in all its beauty and wonder. _So is this how Stitch has always seen and felt everything? I hope this never ends._

Lilo was waving her hand through the air. Letting the wind pick it up and carry it with a will of its own. She could feel her hand cut through the air, as if she were swimming in water. A new sensation filled her body, one that surprised her, yet brought a great feel of familiarity. She looked over and saw that her other hand was being held by Stitch. The new sensation wasn’t new at all. She had just never been able to feel it like this before. The warmth could rival that of the sun. The brush of the small fur tickled slightly, but it gave her the same comfort that it always did when she cuddled him. The touch warmed her from the inside out, making her suddenly feel embarrassed. _What is this? It feels like that day on the beach… but more._ All she could do was giggle to let the feelings out.

It didn’t take long for the two to reach the Hula dance hall. Stitch held back, remembering what felt to them like only yesterday. Sitting on the roof, as he slowly lost control. Lilo could feel it to, she experienced it alongside him in the machine. She wished she could give him some comfort, but new she couldn’t do much for it now.

“I’m sorry you can’t come in.” She said, pulling him into a deep hug. Closing her eyes as she momentarily lost herself in him.

“Isa okay. Meega will wait here. This time, I promise not to go anywhere.”

“Okay.” She whispered in his ear. Before she let her embrace end, she gave him a quick kiss. She felt it like never before, and hoped she would soon experience it again.

Stitch watched as the door closed before him once again. It wasn’t something he would get used to, but it was one he could deal with now. He could feel the ring react to her nearby, and new that she would never be far. If they ever did separate. _I will find her._

 

As soon as Lilo entered the hall, she had a strong sense of déjà vu. Moses was on his knee, folding a piece of paper and placing it into his pocket. He stood and approached Lilo, but not alone this time. Victoria looked confident and smug as she walked beside him. Leaning to the side, she could see Myrtle on the other side of the room. Her arms were crossed and she was positively fuming. Lilo thought she could almost see steam shoot out of her ears.

“Alright, Lilo.” Moses began, looking back to his regular and happy self. “Stitch is allowed to join us in the hall again.”

“What?” Lilo was shocked. After everything that happened she was sure Stitch and she would be in a lot more trouble. “But I thought?”  

Victoria piped in this time. Explaining everything. “I talked to my mom. I was there the whole time remember? I explained how Myrtle caused it all and had hurt you, and Stitch was just trying to protect you. Since she wasn’t actually hurt or anything, my mom talked to the other girl’s moms and they all agreed that as long as Stitch didn’t actually hurt anyone, they don’t see any reason he can’t be here.”

“Really?” She was so happy she felt like she could explode. “Even Mrs. Edmonds said it was okay?”

Victoria giggled. “When she heard what had actually happened, she gave Myrtle a huge scolding. Apparently she lied about what had happened. And ‘lying is not something a young lady should do.’” Victoria did her best to imitate Mrs. Edmonds. Her failed attempt made the two girls laugh.

“Thank-you so much.” Lilo grabbed her best friend and did her best not to break her in a hug. “This means so much to me.”

“I know.” Victoria said softly, as she returned the embrace, rubbing Lilo’s back. “Now, go get Stitch.”

“Yeah.” Lilo didn’t have to be told twice. She quickly ran out and told Stitch the good news. She could see the immense happiness on his face when she told him. He always loved being able to see her dance, and now he could again. And he just couldn’t wait, they both burst through the doors of the dance hall, eager to start once again.


	17. Call Me 'Stitch'

The dance lesson had been wonderful. Lilo was so happy to have Stitch there with her that not even Myrtle could have ruined the day. Myrtle didn’t even try. She had felt completely defeated when Victoria ruined her lie. However, she was not one to just roll over and give up.

“I’ll get both of you back for this.” She muttered under her breath. An evil idea came to her suddenly, a devilish grin spreading across her face. “You’re gonna wish you never went to that dance.”

No one had heard her mutterings. Instead, everyone was completely focused on Lilo. Despite being absent for a few days, she was dancing beautifully. Better than ever before. Her movements were absolute grace. Every turn, every wave of her hand, and every step had a force behind it that none of the little girls had seen before. Even Moses was amazed. He had never seen such an amazing dancer in the younger age divisions.

“Wow, Lilo.” Moses began once the dance had finished. “That was beautiful. You’ve come a long way, and I’m sure that your mother would be proud.”

“Thank-you.” Lilo said, smiling greatly.

The other girls had congratulated her as well, making her slightly embarrassed, as happy as all the praise had made her, she truly only cared about one thing. Stitch was watching her. All through the lesson she could feel his gaze on her. He was sitting on the floor before them all, legs crossed and hands on his feet as he leaned forward intently. No matter what, he wasn’t going to miss a single part of her dancing.

Knowing he was watching her constantly made her excited, but also made her nervous. She knew how much he loved to see her dance, and she wanted more than anything to make him happy. The goofy smile on his face told her that she was doing just that. Still though, she could feel herself blushing constantly from his loving stare.

Once the hula lessons were over and Moses dismissed them all, Myrtle quickly took her entourage and left the building. She was eager to start preparing for Lilo and Victoria’s humiliation. That left the two girls alone in the changing area, free to talk amongst themselves while they got into their regular clothes.

“That was amazing, Lilo.” Victoria still wasn’t over just how beautiful Lilo’s dancing had been. “Where did you learn to move like that?”

“I didn’t.” Lilo giggled in reply. “I don’t know where I learned it all. It just sort of happened.”

“I wonder if it’s a part of those side effects that Jumba mentioned.”

“It could be.” She thought about it, she had felt a lot of changes already, it wouldn’t be too farfetched if her increased movement and senses helped better her dance. “It makes sense. I have felt a lot of other things change too.”

“Really?” Victoria asked as she finished tying her sneaker. “Like what?”

“It’s hard to describe…” Lilo thought about how she should put something that’s really a sensation. “The best way to say it is that all my senses are more livid. Aside from the strength and speed, my sense of touch, smell, sight, and hearing are all amazing. On the way here I could smell all of the plants and flowers, it was simply magnificent. The world feels like a completely different place. Filled with beauty you couldn’t even imagine.”

“Wow. Well, what is it like right now then?”

“Right now?” Lilo closed her eyes and thought about it. “Well, I can feel a slight breeze coming through the walls, and I can hear Stitch tapping his claws on the floor out in the main hall. Also, I can really smell the pomegranate in your hair.”

Victoria blushed a bit at the last comment, embarrassed that she was in the list. Pulling her pony tail around, she smelled the long hair. “Does it smell bad? I can barely smell anything at all. I heard Keoni likes pomegranates so I changed shampoos.”

“Don’t worry, it smells great.” Lilo couldn’t help but smile at Victoria trying to impress Keoni. “I’m sure he’ll love it.”

“I hope so.” She giggled. “It’s really expensive.”

After Lilo finished slipping on her red mu’umu’u, they made their way back the main hall. Once she saw Stitch she ran to him and tackled him into a hug.

“How was I, Stitch?” She asked giving him a kiss.

“Youga beautiful.” He replied.

Victoria made her way over to the two, giggling at their display of affection. After asking Stitch how he was feeling, after what happened a few days earlier, and finding out that he was doing well, she quickly headed home in preparation of the dance. Not really sure what to do for the rest of the day, Lilo and Stitch decided it would be best to help Lilo get adjusted to her new abilities.

After a short drive they found a completely deserted part of the island. A nice section high up in the mountain with a crystal clear stream surrounded with tall trees, giant rocks, and a rushing waterfall that caused a beautiful rainbow in the bright sun. It all gave them a bit of déjà vu.

“It kind of reminds meega of where Gantu’s ship was crashed.” Stitch commented when they walked out onto the side of the stream.

“You’re right, it does.” Lilo kneeled down and put her hand in the running water. She quickly pulled it out in a sudden flash of freezing pain. “Ow! It’s so cold.”

Stitch quickly ran to her side and looked at her hand, sighing in relief that she was okay. “Meega guess you’re still adjusting to the changes.”

“Yeah. I didn’t tell you before. I’m not just faster and stronger. My senses have increased too. Until now it wasn’t a problem, but I wasn’t expecting my sense of touch to be so sensitive to the cold.”

“Meega sure youga get used to it. I’m still adjusting too.”

“Really?” She asked, she felt slightly bad for not realizing that anything else might have changed with him.

“Ih. Destructive urges completely gone. Meega always been holding them back, now I’m free. New emotions taking over. Feel, more human. More normal.”

“Oh, Stitch. I had no idea. I’m sorry I didn’t notice.”

“Isa okay.” He said with a reassuring smile. “Isa feel good. Very good.” His ears perked up as his smile grew. “But now weega get you used to your changes.”

“Right.” She said, a determined look taking over her eyes.

Stitch trained Lilo on controlling her speed and strength. They decided she would need to get used to her senses on her own since they couldn’t do anything about that at the moment. They decided to begin with Lilo’s speed, because the first problem they encountered was when Lilo almost ran through a wall. They began by finding out how fast she could actually run. Clearing a path right down along the stream, both of them took off as fast as they could. Stitch clearly outran her without trouble, but she managed to reach his still form only a few moments after he stopped running.

“If only I had this speed when we were capturing experiments. I could have been a lot more help.” Lilo was still amazed at her ability. She didn’t even break a sweat despite running so hard.

“Nonsense.” Stitch replied. “Youga did amazing as you were. Meega couldn’t have done it without you.”

She couldn’t help but smile at his kind comments. She placed some hair behind her ear as they decided the next step to take. Since they now had an idea on her speed, they could then train her on stopping. While practicing sudden stops, Lilo accidently tripped over herself, causing her to crash into the nearby foliage. She was completely fine with only a small scrape on her knee. Stitch offered to stop for the day, but Lilo was determined to continue. She wasn’t going to stop until she knew she could control herself.

After finally getting a bit of a hang of running at speeds she never imagined, she wanted to tackle her strength. Earlier she had pulled the door right off the buggy, however she was much stronger than that. Nowhere near capable of lifting three thousand times her own weight, she worked her way up from small rocks to larger rocks and boulders. Throughout the tests, Stitch told her to keep in mind that she needed to be delicate to other things. He lived every day with the ability to destroy everything by accident, and that it takes more concentration to hold back as well. Quickly, Lilo got a grasp of what he meant, accidently throwing a rock into the air instead of just lifting it up. It came crashing down on a nearby tree, she laughed sheepishly. After a couple of hours of training she became more and more excited. Even though she couldn’t be as strong or fast as Stitch, she had never felt so much freedom in what she could do. It would take some time, she would still mess up along the way as she slowly adjusted, but for now she would have some control over her movements.

“Nothing could get better than this.” She said as they sat on a large rock while watching the sun set. Their hands overlapped with their fingers intertwined. They could feel each other’s heart beat in unison as the world enveloped in a beautiful warm orange glow. Lilo traced the small wound on her knee, wincing slightly at the pain. “I guess I’m not indestructible like you are, huh?”

“No. But you are perfect the way you are. You always have been.” Stitch tightened his grip on her hand. “Weega just need to be careful.”

“You’re right.” She said with a smile. She laid back on the warm rock, staring up at the sky. A mix of warm oranges and cool purples lined the slow moving clouds. The colours had never been so vivid and clear before to her. _Must be because of my sight now._ A few stars began poking out, getting ready to take over the night with magnificent wonder and light. “It doesn’t feel real yet, you know?”

Stitch laid down beside her, looking up at the same sky as it stretched before him. She could feel the tickle of his warm fur as he pressed up against her arm. “Naga. It doesn’t. Meega know it is though. Meega really couldn’t be happier.”

“A life with you by my side forever?” She replied with a soft and tender voice. “I couldn’t be any happier either.”

The two stayed together in that position for a few moments that felt like a dream. They closed their eyes and let the world around them continue as it pleased, allowing them to just exist and enjoy. Doing their best to revisit the feeling of floating in space together in the machine. They never imagined it would feel so amazing to be connected like that, and they wanted to feel it again. Lilo could feel Stitch’s fur move slightly with every breath he took, and Stitch could feel Lilo’s long hair start to dance in the warm wind flowing by. Smiles quickly stretched across their faces as the feeling of being one together took them over.

“I love you.” Escaped their lips and was caught by the wind, to be flown wherever the world should choose.

 

Before long, they found themselves back at home, eating a warm home cooked meal with their family. They acted as normal as they could, however, they couldn’t shake the gaze of a lone eye that watched their every move. Lilo was about to take a bite of her meatloaf when a high pitched voice took over the dinner table.

“So?” Pleakley began. “Tomorrow’s the big dance right?”

“Right.” Lilo stretched the word, she still hadn’t thought of a name for Stitch’s new disguise. She put down her fork, pretending to wait for the tall yellow alien to continue. Her one hand met Stitch’s under the table, while she started thinking of names that sounded natural.

“Well, I’ve been looking up fashion for preteens and I just have a ton ideas for a dress for you I would be happy to make.”

Lilo was a little stunned. She really thought that he was going to ask about her date, or really anything else other than her dress. “I already have a dress. I told you guys that before didn’t I?”

“I know, I know. However, I read these _fascinating_ articles, and I think I can make something that will knock the socks off your date and all the boys of the dance.”

“Why is she needing to be knocking of socks off?” Jumba chipped in. “I’m sure she will be looking great as is.”

“Jumba, Jumba, Jumba.” Pleakley replied patronizingly as he patted the larger alien’s arm. “I can’t expect you to understand earth fashion with your mind filled with all that evil geniosry. Remember now that I am the Earth expert here, I think I know what I’m talking about.”

“Bah! I know lots about Earth too you know.” Jumba retorted. “I’ve been living here just as long as you have.”

“But have you spent countless days working at understanding the continually growing culture of this planet?”

“You mean watching day time television?” Nani mumbled with her mouth half full of food.

Pleakley could feel his cheeks redden from the comments as Lilo and Stitch began to giggle at his expense. “Well someone has to do it. Either way, I know what I’m talking about here.”

“I’m sorry, Pleakley.” Lilo said as she regained her composure. “But I really like the dress I have. It’s really beautiful. I can’t wait to show you all tomorrow night.”

“Hmph. Fine, I can see when I’m not wanted. My talents are clearly being put to a waste here.” Pleakley got up from the table and walked away in a huff. No one paid much mind to him, knowing he would be back to finish his meal once the dramatics had passed.

“Speaking of your date,” Nani began, “when will I get to meet him?”

Lilo’s eyes quickly darted to Jumba, seeing him wink she returned her gaze to Nani before she could become suspicious. “He’ll be here tomorrow night. He’s going to pick me up and we’ll be walking down to the dance together.”

“You sure you don’t need a ride?”

“N-no!” Lilo said a little too fast. “I mean. It was my idea, I like walking under the stars.”

“Well alright then. Stitch!” Stitch’s head shot up when he heard his name, he looked at her trying to hide his worry. “I’m expecting you to keep an eye on her alright?”

“Ih. I’ll keep an eye on her. No worries.” He squeezed Lilo’s hand beneath his as he nodded in assurance to her older sister.

“Wow, Stitch. That was really good. It sounds like you’re finally getting a handle on English, huh?”

“Um, ih. Isa slow, but I’m getting there.” Stitch laughed nervously at the comment, but Nani took it as embarrassment and left it at that.

After a short time Pleakley returned to finish his meal. Still noticeably annoyed that he wasn’t going to be making a dress for Lilo, but he didn’t bring it up again. Thankfully, the rest of the conversation topics stayed clear of Lilo and Stitch’s personal lives. It still pained their hearts to know they had to keep it a secret from three quarters of their immediate family, but they knew they had to continue the secrecy. The fact that they had such accepting and helping friends and family kept their spirits up that one day they could let it be known to the world. For now though, they were content with just finally being with each other with no worries of anything getting in their way. Once they were all done their meal, Lilo and Pleakley helped put dishes away as Jumba sneaked off into his lab with Stitch in tow.

“I hope you will be liking this form, 626.” Jumba stated as they walked into the lab.

“Um, Jumba?” Stitch asked hesitantly as he grabbed at the large aliens pants.

“Huh?” He turned around and looked down at his greatest creation. “What is it being, 626?”

“Meega was wondering, it’s just, meega no longer the same destructive experiment anymore right?”

Jumba was shocked at what he was seeing and hearing. Stitch was being so delicate and looked like a small child that was just begging for approval from their father. “No, you’re not. You are now truly complete. You are no longer the little monster that I created all those years ago. Why?”

“Well, do youga think you could call me ‘Stitch’ then?”

“U-uh.” The creator looked at his creation completely stunned. He had always referred to his experiments by number, ever since they were initially created. Not that there was anything wrong with the names they were given by Lilo and Stitch. It was always just that by number, they still felt like his. Like they were his children. He spent years, blood, and sweat in their creation, and he had trouble letting go of the past. Here before him stood his finest creation he could ever hope to make. One that surprised him on more than one account, wanting him to call him by name. “I suppose you truly aren’t the destructive ‘626’ anymore.” Jumba got down on his knee and put his hand on Stitch’s shoulder. “To me, you will always by ‘626.’ The finest creation I will ever make… But, you are Stitch. If that’s what you want me to call you, then by all means I will.”

Stitch’s ears perked up as his face grew a giant smile. He lunged forward giving Jumba a hug that nearly broke some bones. “Takka.”

“N-no p-problem. Just don’t b-break me.” Jumba huffed trying to gasp for air. Once he was free, he took Stitch to his large computer system. “Now, as I was saying, I hope you will be liking this form.”

He pressed a few buttons and on the screen popped the image Jumba had made for him. Stitch’s eye’s shot wide open in surprise. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Lilo was going to love it, and so would he. With this, they were going to win that challenge for sure, but most of all, they were going to have the best date ever.

“Isa amazing, Jumba.” He whispered.

“I am glad you are liking it, _Stitch.”_


	18. In Preperation

The day had finally arrived. Stitch had laid in bed, holding Lilo until her eyes finally fluttered open. After a slight wince from the brightness of the room, her eyes found Stitch’s and she couldn’t contain herself anymore. Before he could even begin to say good morning, her lips were locked tightly against his as she tugged on his fur to bring him closer. At first, Stitch was surprised by the sudden onslaught, but after a few moments he let his eyes close as he melted into her. Lilo didn’t even bother to check and see if they had locked the lift before going to bed, frankly, she didn’t care. The whole world could come into their bedroom and find them kissing and it wouldn’t ruin the fact that the day they waited over a week for was finally on them.

Lilo had a fire inside her that she hadn’t felt in a long time. It felt like forever since she felt Stitch’s rough lips against her. The only time they had alone together the previous day was when they were training, and they were far too busy to really get a chance to kiss passionately. The days before that they were completely out cold in the machine, and before that Stitch had finally lost control. This was the first time in almost an entire week where they could finally let loose and just let their emotions truly flow.

Their lips continued to dance together, completely inseparable. Stitch grabbed her and rolled onto his back, bringing Lilo on top of him. Her hair fell down around him like curtains, strands tickling his face. He didn’t bother pushing them aside as he felt Lilo start to nibble on his bottom lip. He could feel every nerve in his body respond to her touch. Wrapping both sets of arms around her he pulled her into him as close as he could. His hands rubbed her back up and down, sending shiver after shiver down her spine. After several long magical minutes of continued kissing and nibbling, Lilo began slowing down, trailing kisses down his neck to his collar bone.

“Hehehe, Lilo.” Stitch giggled. “Stop it.” He was unable to hold his fit of laughter any longer. “That tickles. Please.”

“No way.” She said with a mischievous grin, continuing even as Stitch began writhing beneath her touch. “Not. Until. You. Give. In.” She said with a ticklish peck between each word.

Rather than give in so easily, Stitch decided to try a different route. He flipped them over so that he was on top, gaining a surprised gasp from Lilo. He used two of his hands to hold her wrists to the bed, not enough to hurt her, just to hold her in place. With his knees on either side of her, she was completely trapped.

“Now isa your turn.” He said, seeing her eye’s grow wide in terror as her mouth already began to smile in anticipation for the tickles. Using his free hands he began running his fingers tenderly along her sides. After only a single touch she had already began laughing, squirming under him, trying her best to get out of his grasp. Try as she might though, she couldn’t move. He had her pinned and clearly he wasn’t going to stop any time soon. Tears started to form in her eyes as her mouth began hurting from smiling and laughing so hard.

“Well? Youga give up?” Stitch asked. She could see from the glint in his eye and the toothy grin on his face that he was enjoying this. She continued to resist as he increased his efforts, she was at the point where sound wasn’t even coming out anymore. All she could feel was his fingers on her sides and her lungs crying for air. She continued to resist, determined not to give in. The longer she held out, the more Stitch tickled her. Trailing his fingers up and down her side and over her stomach, hitting each sensitive spot.

“Yes! I give up.” She shouted reluctantly. Sweet relief washed over her as Stitch finally stopped, instead holding her sides with his strong grip. Her chest rose and fell like a balloon as her lungs finally got the air they desired. “I’ll get you next time.”

Stitch just smiled in response, leaning down to kiss her once again, which she was happy to receive. “Good morning, boojiboo.”

“Good morning.” She replied. Nothing in the world could have felt better to her than it did right then.

The rest of the day the two couldn’t keep hold of their excitement. The entire household could feel their energy and quickly got caught up in their combined rhythm. Even though he wasn’t making the dress, Pleakley couldn’t wait to see how Lilo and her date looked together. It took him some time, but eventually he had found his camera, ready to take the picture of Lilo’s first date. Not wanting to be ‘under dressed’ for the occasion, Pleakley locked himself in his room to try on different clothes and wigs to look perfect for the evening.

Still completely wiped from all the restless days and nights working, Jumba had fallen asleep on the couch with an untouched cup of coffee beside him. After he had shown Stitch the design for his human form, he had to finalize the image for Morpholomew to use. On top of that, he also needed to make a new device to amplify the experiments abilities. Just changing Stitch’s form wouldn’t be enough, his voice needed to be changed as well. Thankfully, it wasn’t as difficult a task as changing the function of the machine, but Jumba was tired from a nights worth of work none the less.

Stitch didn’t leave Lilo’s side for a second. The hours ticked by slowly. Painstakingly slowly. Like watching a pot boil his eyes constantly darted to the clock to see the time. The two tried to pass the time with games and playing, but their hearts weren’t in it. They just wanted to be at the dance more than anything. Soon the time had come, they had to start getting ready for their evening. When Nani wasn’t looking, Stitch snuck out of the house and headed to the local costume shop, picture and device in hand.

 _I guess I’m not the only one needing a change today._ Stitch thought as he looked at the long line up going down the street from Morpholomew’s costume shop. Not wanting to be seen, he ran down the street to reach the building from behind. Climbing up top he waited on the roof, hoping that the line would die down fast. Having waited for what seemed like forever, Stitch’s ears perked at the sound of a bell ringing as the door below him opened. Looking down, he saw a tall man with wavy hair walk out of the shop wearing a fancy tuxedo.

“Thanks for the new suit.” The man said as he began strutting away. Stitch looked up and down the street bellow, and saw no one was around anymore. _This is my chance!_

 

Having a long day now behind him, Morpholomew started turning the open sign on the door around to say closed. Suddenly, a large blue creature fell from the sky right in front of the door, its face obscured by the now swaying sign. He jumped back from fear and surprise, shutting his eyes tight and cowering as the door opened silently. He slowly opened his eye a peek when he didn’t feel any attack come. He let out a sigh of relief, seeing that Stitch was standing there looking confused.

“Youga okay, Morpholomew?” Stitch asked, rather concerned about his cousin’s current state.

“Oh, Stitch. Isa only youga.” He stood up straight but slightly embarrassed, letting the fear wash from his system. Having not seen his cousin in a while, he quickly pulled Stitch into a hug. “Gaba youga doing here? Youga feel different.”

“Different?” Stitch asked, wondering just how he felt different from a hug.

“Ih. Naga nota gaba isa is.” The small reddish experiment pondered, quickly brushing it from his mind. “Anyway, how can meega help youga?”

Stitch gave a nervous laugh before replying. “Meega was wondering if you could change me. There is a dance that meega can’t get into unless human.”

“Well…Meega just finished closing up for the night.” Morpholomew began, seeing Stitch’s ears quickly drop as sad realization took over. Feeling bad for him, and thinking of all the times Stitch had helped him, he quickly changed his mind. “But for youga, cousin? Meega can do it.”

The excitement quickly returned to Stitch as he pulled the reddish experiment into a hug and jumped around, nearly crushing Morpholomew in the process. Escaping Stitch’s grasp he shook off the dizziness, wondering just why he got so excited from all of this.

“Come this way.” He said, beginning to lead Stitch to the viewing platform. There weren’t any clothes around, all that was in the room was a small round pedestal to stand on and a lot of mirrors for viewing from every angle. “Now, gaba can meega change youga into?”

He started pulling out his book of pictures when Stitch started telling him he had his own design. “Use this.” He said as he handed his photo over.

Morpholomew took one look at the image and grew a giant grin. “This must be something important for youga to look like this. Youga said isa dance, ih?”

“Ih.” Stitch said, nodding his head profusely.

 “So, isa youga going with a saari?” Morpholomew asked innocently.

“Ih. Meega have a date. Meega have to look good.”

“Meega thought so. Don’t worry, youga will look butifa. Meega just glad to see youga back on youga’s feet after Angel.” He put away the book of images, getting ready to change Stitch.

“Ih. Ohhh. One thing.” Stitch quickly slid the small ring like device onto Morpholomew’s finger. “Jumba made this so youga can change voices too.”

“Really?” Morpholomew’s face began to beam from excitement. “Meega always wanted to do voices. Alright. Youga ready?”

Stitch simply nodded as he saw his cousin’s finger begin to glow. With a single touch, Stitch felt his body begin to shift and change. Quickly the world around him became a bit smaller as he grew in size. With a flash of light, the change was made. He looked at his new self in the mirror, unable to hold his excitement. Finally ready, and with a great thank you to his cousin, Stitch headed back home to pick up Lilo.

While Stitch was out getting ready, Lilo was also busy preparing. Nani had offered to help Lilo do her hair, and she couldn’t have been happier to accept. The two sisters didn’t get a lot of chances to really act like sisters. Nani was always busy with work and Lilo always had some extraterrestrial emergency going on in her life. Even though things had finally calmed down, they found that they didn’t have a lot of sisterly bonding moments. For the first time in a while, Nani was finally getting to be the big sister she always wanted to.

The two were alone in Nani’s room, sitting on her bed. Lilo sat in front of Nani, allowing Nani better access to her hair. They were finally talking like sisters as Lilo’s hair was brushed and braided.

“So, Lilo. Are you excited?” Nani asked, feeling rather excited herself.

“Yeah, but I’m also really nervous.” Lilo replied truthfully.

“I was too.” Nani whispered and then she giggled. “But if I learnt anything from my experiences, it’s that you shouldn’t spend too much time thinking about being nervous. You’ll have a lot more fun if you just go with it.”

“Is that what you did when you went with David?”

“Oh, I didn’t go with David.”

“What?” Lilo exclaimed while trying to turn around. Nani pushed her right back where she was, putting her head back to the right angle to braid the left side.

“Stay where you are, Lilo. I don’t want to mess this up.”

“Sorry.” Lilo said feeling a little embarrassed. “Didn’t you say before that you and David where dancing together?”

“We were, but I didn’t go with him. I actually went with someone else, but my date ditched me. Oh, I felt like a stupid head. Then David came up to me and asked if I wanted to dance.” Nani trailed off for a second as she remembered the first night she had seen him. He still wore his silly grin, but he took her breath away none the less. She remembered thinking he was so handsome, even though he didn’t wear his suit jacket. Something about the way his hair moved when he walked, and his eyes sparkled in the light, before she knew it she was on the dance floor with him. “Anyway.” She began again with a happy sigh. “He had asked me and I said yes. I was really nervous to dance, like I said before I really do have two left feet.”

“But you’re such a good surfer, you must be great at dancing too.” Lilo interrupted.

“Heehee. I don’t think that’s how it works, sweetie. Like I was saying. I was really nervous, and I’m pretty sure I stepped on his toes on more than one occasion. He didn’t mind, though. In the end, I actually had a lot of fun. So I know you’re going to feel nervous, but try your best to have fun anyway.”

“Okay.” Lilo said, actually feeling a lot better after Nani’s story. “I will. Thanks.”

“No problem, Lilo.” Nani finished braiding the one side and moved onto the other. “Besides, it’s all in the company. I’m sure your date will help make it a lot of fun.”

“He will.” Lilo said, not really minding her words. “I know he will, St-“she had almost said Stitch’s name. Nani tilted her head when Lilo suddenly paused. Now having to think of a name fast, Lilo decided on the first name that came to mind. “Styles is a lot of fun.”

“So Styles’ his name huh? You know I’ve been really patient with this, and I am letting you go out with him tonight. Do you think you could tell me a bit about him? Like, how did you meet?”

“How we met?” Lilo thought back to the day at the pound. She was looking for a dog to have as her friend, but instead found Stitch. It was a moment that changed her life forever. That was Stitch though, not Styles. “We met last week on the beach one evening.”

“Oooh. That’s romantic. And he just, swept you off your feet?”

“I suppose you could say that.” Her face grew a dreamy smile at the memory, unnoticed by her older sister. _It was more like tackling me into the sand, but still._ “He’s really nice and gentle. Always puts others before himself and has a strong sense of what’s good and bad.”

“Even, so. Stitch better keep an eye on him. No one’s going to hurt my little sister.”

“Don’t worry, Stitch will keep a real good watch over him.” She couldn’t help but laugh at the situation. “Besides, I know he would never try to hurt me.”

“So, is this Styles going to be around long? You said he’s new to the island right?”

“He is. I don’t know how long he’ll be here. He has family here now, so even if he doesn’t, he can always come back any time he’s free.”

“That’s good. So where’s he from.”

“Maui.” Lilo said the first thing that came to mind again. She was deep into this lie now and needed everything to sound natural. Despite this, she hoped she wouldn’t have to keep it up for long. Especially when her sister was being so nice about everything.

“Then I expect him to be a true Hawaiian gentleman.” Nani made some final touches on Lilo’s hair. Making sure the braids were done just right, and after brushing some stray ends she leaned back to take a better look. “There. All done.”

“Can I see now?” Lilo asked filled with excitement.

“Not yet. Close your eyes.” Lilo covered her eyes with her hands, she was starting to get impatient. She felt Nani get up from the bed and walk over to her dresser. The creak of a drawer and shuffling of objects filled her with curiosity, wondering what Nani had planned for her.

“Now?” She asked again. Nani could hear the impatience in Lilo’s voice.

“Not yet, sweetie.” Nani replied. Lilo could hear a little sadness from her, as well as the sound of a quiet sad sigh that her sister tried to hide. After a moment to herself, Nani closed the drawer. Lilo heard her light footsteps slowly reach her and then a slight tug on each of her braids before she no longer felt them resting on her shoulders. “Okay, you can open them.”

Lilo opened her eyes and saw a mirror before her. She couldn’t believe her eyes with what Nani had done to her hair. She kept moving her head around, trying to see herself from every angle. A braid came down from her hair on each side. The left one was shorter than the other, as it lopped down below her ear then back up to the side of her head where a clip held it in place. The right braid was held in a similar fashion, wrapping around the back of her head to be clipped in place as well. She had never worn her hair like that before, but the most stunning part of it was the clip. A beautiful large flower that was light blue with dark red trim around the sides and matching stems.

Nani could see Lilo’s captivation with the flower clip, happy that she liked it. “It belonged to mom.” She said softly.

“To mom? But how?”

“I had found it in the rubble after the explosion from Jumba’s blaster. It was a little damaged, but I managed to get it restored.”

Lilo didn’t know what to say, she was completely overcome with different emotions. Most of all, she felt happy. Happy that she would have part of her mother with her on this evening. She suddenly lunged forwards, wrapping her arms around her sister’s waist in a hug. A few tears began forming in the corners of her eyes. Nani returned the hug, feeling just as strongly as Lilo did.

The tender moment was quickly interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing through the house.

“That must be Styles.” Nani said, wiping a few tears from her eyes. “You go get ready, I’ll keep him in the living room.”

Lilo quickly hurried to her bedroom, leaving her sister to answer the door. She could hear Nani greet him as she ascended the lift. _Please don’t figure out that it’s Stitch._ Lilo got ready as quickly as she could. Changing into her dress and a nice pair of shoes, she took one final look at herself in the mirror. She couldn’t help but smile. _Tonight is going to be perfect._

As soon as she reached the bottom of the lift, she could already hear Nani giving Stitch the once over. Making sure he understood the curfew and to treat her well. Lilo never once heard, Stitch say a word. _Of course he can’t, his voice wouldn’t have changed._ A little worried that they might be found out, she quickly made her way into the room and froze, completely breathless.

Standing before her, near the door, was a very handsome boy. A boy she had never seen before, but she knew instantly that it was Stitch.   


	19. The Dance Begins

The moment Lilo walked into the room, Stitch’s heart leapt.  Every day her beauty never ceased to amaze him, but something about the atmosphere and the way her dressed swayed when she walk completely captivated him. Nani was still talking to him, but suddenly the world was quiet, only Lilo was still left. He could see her blush slightly, not sure if it was from him seeing her or from his new appearance. Either way, he didn’t care, all that mattered was that she was there, and their night could begin.

Lilo was feeling a similar captivation. It felt like the world around her vanished once she saw the boy that was and wasn’t Stitch. He stood tall, about a half foot taller than her. His skin was slightly tan. Nowhere near deep as hers, but still evenly tanned. Hair of a dark ocean blue that was reminiscent of his regular fur casually hung around his head. Some of his bangs fell in front of his face, bringing her attention to his crystal blue eyes. He flipped his hair back into place, making Lilo swoon a bit. He even had little marks on his ears, just like his real ears. She was mostly amazed by his full tuxedo. She knew that he hated to wear them and was just as surprised now as the evening he confessed his love for her. The suit was near black, and he had a tie that matched the colour of her dress perfectly. Everything about him seemed perfect, even his skin was flawless. Every part was amazing, right down to the finger with his ring on it. _His ring!_

Lilo lunged forward, wrapping herself around his arm, covering his ring with her hand. He looked delightfully surprised by her sudden embrace. He found himself staring down at her, still captivated by her.

“Awe.” Nani said, making Lilo slightly embarrassed. “Now did you hear what I said, Styles?”

Stitch didn’t respond, not realizing that Nani was addressing him. Lilo give his hand a slight squeeze, bring him back to his senses. “Huh?”

“Did you hear what I said?” Nani repeated slightly aggravated.

“Don’t worry-“Lilo began, thinking that Stitch wouldn’t be able to answer. However, he stopped her, much to her surprise.

“I understand.” His voice was like an angel to her. It wasn’t deep, but it wasn’t high pitched like it normally was. Just a perfect medium that rang through her. “We’ll be back before curfew. I’ll make sure she’s returned safely.”

“Good.” Nani said with a nod of approval. “Now you kids go have fun.”

The two were about to bid their farewell and head out to the dance, when a shrill voice from the hall called out to them all, waking Jumba up on the couch.

“Hold it! Hold it!” Pleakley shouted, running into the room out of breath. Everyone cringed slightly at his appearance. His black wig was askew slightly, and his red dress hung a bit off of his shoulder. He was wearing matching lipstick, but a trail was drawn across his face from his lips. Pleakley quickly noticed the odd look everyone was giving him. “What?”

“Nothing.” Everyone said at once, looking away from him, trying to stifle their laughter.

Pleakley scratched the back of his head, feeling that his wig was slightly off. Furrowing his brow he fixed it back into place. “Haha, very funny everyone.” His demeanor quickly changed back his cheery demeanor. “We need to get a picture to commemorate the occasion.” He held up his camera happily.

“Do we have to?” Lilo asked, eager to get going.

“I think it’s a great idea.” Nani said as she pulled them over to the kitchen entrance. Lilo held onto Stitch’s hand as best she could, hoping that neither Nani or Pleakley would notice that his ring had her name on it. “Alright, Styles. Put your arm around her.”

Lilo reluctantly let go of his hand. Thankfully, no one pointed out the ring on his finger, which now sitting right near her face.

“Everybody ready?” Pleakley asked. “Say freeze!”

“Freeze?” Stitch whispered through gritted teeth as he attempted a smile.

“Just go with it.” Lilo replied as quietly as she could.

With a flash of light, the two began rubbing their eyes as they started to see spots everywhere. After a few moments they finally got their bearings, seeing that Pleakley had left them while in their dazed state. Unable to hold back any longer they quickly made their way to the door, hoping not to be stopped again. The hope was short lived when Nani held Lilo back one more time.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to take you?” She asked. Less than secretly she really wanted to. More than anything, she wanted to know that Lilo was going to be okay. As much as she felt comfortable knowing Stitch would be watching over the two of them, she still worried.

Lilo and Stitch were surprised to see that Jumba was the one to put his hand on Nani’s shoulder.

“They will be fine.” He said confidently. “Lilo has been through harder things.”

“He’s right.” Lilo added, wrapping her arms around Nani’s waist in a tight hug. “Besides, Stitch will be watching over me. As well as mom.”

Nani couldn’t say anything after that, she knew they were all right. It was hard for her to see her little sister go off on her first date. _She’s growing up so fast. She’s already done so much. Been through more things than a girl her age should have. I know I can trust her, she’d tell me anything._

With a slight nod, she let them go. Watching their forms slowly disappear into the night through the window. “It’s hard to see them grow up.”

“Yes. It is being hard. But we are unable to be stopping it.” Jumba said as he flipped on the TV.

“Did you ever have kids?” She asked, sitting down on the other side of the couch, running her fingers through her hair.

“N-“He was about to tell her he hadn’t and truly he didn’t. Truthfully, he did not ever have any children or planned to. However lately he has begun thinking otherwise. “Yes. Six hundred and twenty eight to be exact.”

 

The time it took the two to reach the hula hall was minimal. Aside from running as quickly as they could manage in their fancy clothes, they were too excited to notice the distance. As soon as they reached the stairs of the building, they stopped, suddenly nervous. They could hear the muffled sounds of music radiating from inside. Lilo felt a knot in her throat, all the excitement she held changed into butterflies, floating in her stomach. She took a step back, second guessing if she should go in. Stitch saw her move out of the corner of his eye, and turned to her, seeing a mixture of fear and doubt drawn across her face.

“Something wrong, Lilo?” He asked, taking both of her hands into his.

“I don’t know. I just feel nervous suddenly. I really don’t know why.” She looked up into his eyes, a sparkle from the stars filling them. She was normally used to falling into the large black pools of his gaze, not an ocean of clear blue. It felt foreign, but it still felt right. “What if I make a fool of myself? What if we don’t win after all I said?”

Stitch gave her a smile that could melt even Slushy. “Youga won’t make a fool of yourself, Lilo.” He gave her forehead a kiss before resting his own forehead against hers. “Besides, nothings every stopped youga from being yourself before. It one of the many things meega loves about youga.”

Lilo felt herself smile at his words. _He’s right. I’ve always been myself without caring what anyone thinks. Now’s not the time to start._ “Alright. Let’s go.”

The moment they opened the door they were blown away. Lilo couldn’t believe how different the place could look in just a matter of a day. The usual open hall had a long table on either side, showcasing food platters, desserts, and a large variety of drinks. The walls had chairs lined up against them, some filled with kids, others with bored parents or chaperones, but most of them were empty. On the stage, where she had danced for years, were large speakers standing tall on both sides, and a man controlling the sound system in the middle at the back. The biggest change was the colour. All the lights were either dimed or giving off a blue light. With reflective stars hanging down from the ceilings and decorations on the walls, it looked like the night sky on the beach. A disco ball hung in the center of the room, representing a full moon. There were kids everywhere. Most were Lilo’s age, but some were older. They were either dancing, eating, talking, or just standing by themselves. She couldn’t see Moses anywhere, but didn’t think about it after the initial thought.

Lilo was still looking around when she suddenly felt two arms wrap around her as she was almost tackled to the ground.

“You’re here!” Victoria shouted. It took her a second but she eventually found herself looking at Stitch and became a little speechless. “Stitch? Is that really you?”

“Ih.” He replied with a smile.

“You look really handsome.” Lilo rose her eyebrow at the girls comment. “You both do!” She told them after seeing Lilo’s look at her. The both laughed, knowing that Stitch was for sure Lilo’s, and that Victoria would never try to take him. “You’re going to beat Myrtle for sure.”

“You look great yourself, Victoria.” She was wearing a tan yellow dress that reached down to her ankles and the straps tied back around her neck. Rather than having her hair tied in a ponytail like usual, it was combed straight with slight curls at the end. “So where’s Keoni?”

“He’s over at the drink table getting some drinks.”

The trio left the entrance and found a comfortable place to stand while they waited for Keoni to return. Meanwhile, Myrtle was fuming from the other side of the room by the snacks.

“Wow. Lilo looks amazing, doesn’t she?” The blonde haired girl stated.

“Shut up, Elena.” Myrtle spat.

“And her date is really handsome.” Theresa added dreamily.

“I said, shut up!”

“Her dress is really amazing too.” Yuki looked between the four of them, rather disappointed. “I thought we were all going to wear our princess dresses. Why are you wearing something different, Myrtle?”

“Because I need to win.” She had instructed her friends to wear their princess costume dresses from Halloween a few years back, while she wore a shiny white dress that could rival the hanging disco ball. “And nothing’s going to get in my way.”

Myrtle stomped passed her date who was stuffing different treats from the table into his mouth, making her way straight over to Lilo and her date.

“But my mom made me a new dress and everything.” Yuki said with a sigh. Theresa rubbed her back sympathetically before they followed their leader.

Keoni had just arrived and gave Victoria her drink. After the round of compliments on how everyone had looked, Lilo introduced him to Styles. Lilo had never seen Keoni in anything but his regular street clothes, the tuxedo didn’t really suit him, but the lack of tie and the undone jacket helped. Keoni and Stitch started talking while Victoria and Lilo continued their conversation.

“Hey Weirdlo.” Victoria interrupted.

“Hello, Myrtle.” Lilo said a little aggravated. “You look nice tonight.” She tried to be at least a little polite, not wanting to ruin the night.

“I know.” She replied, stroking her own ego.

“You look amazing, Lilo.” Elena said genuinely. The other two girls also agreed.

“Thanks, guys. Why are you all wearing your costumes?” The three just glared over at Myrtle and then Lilo understood. _How low would she stoop to win?_

Deciding not to dwell on it any longer, Yuki asked who Lilo’s date was to only be instantly pushed to the side by Myrtle.

“Yes, _Lilo._ Who is your date?” She asked, emphasizing Lilo’s name oddly.

Stitch thought it was funny that he kept getting introduced to people he knew. Only Lilo and Victoria were the ones who knew who he really was. They all silently laughed at the situation.

“This is Styles. He’s new to the island. He used to live in Maui before he moved here.”

Stitch was about to say hi but Myrtle didn’t even give him a chance to talk. “Well, Styles. I don’t know if anyone’s told you, but Lilo and Victoria here are the local weirdos.”

“Really?” He asked patronizingly, sounding genuinely concerned.

“Yes, and if you don’t want to catch their weirdness, I suggest you hang out with a more normal, prettier crowd.” She started pulling him towards the dance floor. “Like me.”

Stitch looked back at Lilo who was almost doubling over from laughter. He thought about leading Myrtle on a little bit more, but decided against it. He pulled his hand out of her grasp gaining a sound of surprise from her.

“I’m sorry, Myrtle. I’m going to stick with Lilo.”

“What? But she’s weird.” She was absolutely shocked. First Victoria, and now this guy would rather spend time with Lilo than her. _What is going on?_

“You’re right.” He said as he wrapped his arm around her. “It’s one of the best things about her. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to enjoy the dance.”

Stitch suddenly grabbed Lilo’s hand and pulled her towards the dance floor, she instinctively grabbed onto Victoria who in turn grabbed Keoni. They made their way to the middle of the crowd and started to dance the music. There were a little more people than Stitch would have liked, but he kept his focus on Lilo and Lilo only.

It wasn’t quite the same as her hula dancing, but she was still beautiful none the less. They continued dancing together like they always did, letting the music just flow through them and letting their bodies do what they will.

Myrtle watched on from the side of the dance floor. She was livid from not being able to steal Lilo’s date. The other three girls whispered a few words behind her back. With a nod of agreement, Elena and Yuki pushed Theresa forward almost shoving her right into Myrtle.

Theresa cleared her throat, gaining the orange haired girls attention. “Um, Myrtle? As much fun as standing against the wall is, we’re going to go enjoy ourselves.”

“What?”

Without giving an answer, the three girls ran out onto the dance floor, finding a trio of boys to dance with. Myrtle was frozen in place. _What is happening?_ Her date suddenly walked up with a plate full of goodies, mouth still half full as he was talking.

“Did I miss anything?” He asked with crumbs falling out of his mouth.

“Ugh.” She looked her date over. Sure he was handsome, but she wasn’t as sure that they could beat Lilo with the guy she was with. She knocked the plate of food from his hand angrily.

“Hey! I was eating those.”

“Come on. We’re going to dance.” Basically dragging him against his will, she pulled him onto the dance floor. She couldn’t make it to the center of the crowd like she had hoped, so instead she settled for part way in.

After a few dances, Lilo and Stitch were starting to feel tired. They couldn’t stop though. The excitement and the atmosphere kept them going. They were having so much fun, they wished it would never end. There was a slight pause between songs, and they were wondering what was taking so long. After a few moments they heard a tune that was very familiar to them.

A slight remixed version of the song they were using for their hula years ago began playing. They looked at each other for a second before giant smiles spread across their faces. Rather than dancing like they were before, the started into a duet hula. It took a few moments before Victoria saw that the two had begun a hula dance together and stopped Keoni so he could see.

“Wow. That’s really cool.” He said, noticing others around them also stopping to watch.

It didn’t take long for a ring of people to form around the hula dancing couple. Everyone watched on as they danced together perfectly. Having practiced this dance so much when they were younger, it felt exactly like riding a bike. Every move was familiar and felt perfect. Back then, love had meant something a little different to them. Now it had a lot more feeling, and they both truly felt like they could say they would love each other always. They could feel the stares of all the kids and young teens around them, and Lilo felt a little embarrassed. She couldn’t stop though, every time she looked at Stitch the world around her would melt. It felt like she was back in time to when they were kids, dancing just for fun. She didn’t get to watch Stitch hula as much anymore, and she was happy that he stilled enjoyed it just as much as she did.

Myrtle didn’t understand why everyone had suddenly stopped dancing, but it didn’t take her long to see the reason. She was so angry that Lilo was getting all of the attention instead of her.

“They’re really good.” Said the boy beside her.

“Puh-lease. Obviously you don’t know good hula if you think they’re good at it.” Her response didn’t get any reaction. No one was paying her any attention. She even saw her friends cheering on the couple on the other side of the room.

Fed up with everything she quickly stormed outside. Muttering to herself, she kicked a rock and it flew into a tree, bouncing off the truck it knocked off the lid of a large box. Myrtle looked at the box she had prepared just in case she didn’t get her way. With an evil grin she grabbed the two tubs that were inside the box and ran around to the other side of the building. Looking around to make sure no one saw her, she entered the side door and placed one tub on either side of the stage. Her plan was now set in motion.

The song soon ended and Lilo and Stitch finished their hula. Everyone in the crowd cheered making them feel rather embarrassed, but happy that everyone enjoyed it. The crowd quickly dispersed as they went back to doing their own thing. The young couple looked at each other and smiled before continuing to have fun with each other at their first dance, not realizing that Myrtle had planned something to ruin Lilo’s night.


	20. Let's Learn Together

The dance continued perfectly, just as the two had dreamed it would. After a few more songs, Victoria was starting to get tired. Needing a break, she asked Lilo, Stitch and Keoni if they could step aside for a little while. Once they made their way out of the crowd, Stitch and Keoni offered to go get some snacks and drinks.

Victoria sat on one of the chairs against the wall, completely exhausted. Lilo kept standing, looking around at the crowd with a giant smile on her face. Her friend wiped some sweat from her brow, seeing Lilo gaze amongst the crowd. “How are you still standing? We were out there for over half an hour.”

“Were we?” Lilo asked, slightly shocked. She finally sat down beside her friend. “I didn’t even notice, I still have lots of energy.”

“Yeah, I guess you would, huh…” She remembered suddenly that Lilo wasn’t the same anymore, at least not physically. “So has everything been okay with you? You know, with your abilities.” She whispered the last words, not wanting anyone to overhear.

“Yeah, we-“Lilo was cut off. The music suddenly skipped with a loud screech. Most of the people winced at it, but Lilo doubled over, covering her ears. “Ah.”

“Are you okay?” Victoria’s voice was distant. She could feel her hands wrap around her back, shaking her slightly, begging for an answer.

Lilo couldn’t answer though. She wasn’t expecting such a loud noise and her advanced hearing amplified it even more. It felt like an explosion inside her head. She pressed her hands to her ears even harder, trying to block out all the noise until the deafening ringing stopped. Victoria looked around, not really sure what to do. She could see some of the chaperones starting to eye them. Knowing that Lilo wouldn’t want to be questioned, not that she could answer in this state anyway, she led her to the nearest exit.

As soon as Lilo hit the cool night air, she started feeling better. Her ears were starting to feel better, so she hesitantly took her hands away from them. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she could smell the ocean from a few blocks away. The slight breeze let her relax until Victoria’s words finally reached her.

“Lilo? Are you okay?” Victoria’s voice cracked with worry. Her eyes wavered in concern, not entirely sure what to do.

“Yeah. I’ll be oaky.” Lilo finally managed to say. “It was just really loud all of a sudden. I wasn’t expecting it.” Lilo shook her head, finally the ringing had stopped.

“Whew.” Victoria let out a sigh of relief. “I was really worried for a second. I guess I got my answer though.”

Lilo chuckled. “Yeah, I suppose so. Some things are really good, others I’m still getting used to.” After a few moments, Lilo felt back to her regular self. At least, her new regular self. “Alright. I’m okay to go back in.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I’ll be fine.” Once they got back inside, Lilo was instantly hugged by Stitch. _Is this going to happen every time I enter this place?_ Keoni ran up behind him, looking to Victoria who gave him a look that said not to worry.

“Are youga okay?” Stitch asked. Pulling away from the hug, he kept his hands on her arms and looked deeply in her eyes with worry. When he returned and found that Lilo wasn’t there he got really worried. He could feel she was nearby, but before he could continue looking for her, she had already returned.

“I’m fine. I just needed to step out for a moment.” She could see the concern he held, and just how much she had made him worry. “I’ll be okay, I’m just still adjusting.”

While Keoni didn’t know what she had meant by that, Stitch had an idea of what she was talking about. He knew there wasn’t anything he could do, and that Lilo would tell him if something more was wrong. He finally let his worry go and his smile returned. “Okay. You still hungry?”

“Yes!” Both girls announced at once. The guys led them back to where they had left the snacks. Enjoying a little relaxation together after all the dancing was revitalizing. The food was even pretty good, although the desserts were just a little sweet for Victoria’s tastes. After a short time, Teresa, Yuki, and Elena came over and complimented Lilo and Stitch on their hula.

“Where’d you learn that hula, Styles?” Yuki asked, still amazed by their performance earlier.

“Yeah. Wasn’t that your hula back from the May Day Festival, Lilo?” Elena added, noticing that Teresa kept looking off to the side.

“It was…” Lilo trailed off, her voice growing weak as she started to worry that their lie might unravel soon. “You see, um…”

“You danced it beautifully together.” Yuki chimed in again. “It was like you two had danced it for forever or something.”

Stitch was also starting to feel panicked. He looked between Lilo and the questioning girls, mouth agape. His mind worked and worked at a solution. There was no logical answer for Styles to have known that hula. With nothing to lose, he decided to play a more romantic approach. “I don’t know how I knew the steps. I just looked at Lilo,” he said while placing his arm around her, “and my body started moving on its own. Like we were meant to dance it together.”

The three girls awed at his comment. Even Lilo felt herself flutter a bit from his words. She felt like he wasn’t lying about it. They hadn’t done that dance in a really long time, but it just came to them, and they did better than they ever had before.

“That was so sweet.” Elena said, batting her eyes lashes.

“I wish I had someone who thought about me like that.” Teresa said.

“What about that boy over there?” Yuki pointed over at the spot that Teresa kept looking. Everyone looked over at once, seeing a boy suddenly get nervous and turn away. He pretended to be doing something else while the girls all snickered.

“Who’s that?” Victoria asked, curiously. She had never seen the boy before.

“That’s the boy Teresa was dancing with.” Elena whispered to her. “I think they like each other a little.”

“Hey!” Teresa shouted, turning noticeably redder. “I don’t like him.” Her words became a mumble, drowned by the music.

“What was that?” Yuki asked, teasingly.

“I said I don’t like him!” She said, a little louder, her face a completely different shade than it was before.

The girls giggled at her protests. Lilo saw that the boy in question had shifted a bit closer. She didn’t know if he heard Teresa say she didn’t like him, but she was determined to help them out a little.

“You like him.” Lilo said, standing up.

“W-what are you doing?” Lilo started pushing Teresa towards the boy. She tried her best to stop, but found that Lilo was surprisingly strong. “I-I’m not ready for this.” _Why does this keep happening to me?_

“You’ll be fine.” Lilo whispered in her ear. “Take it from me. Just say it and get it over with, and then go dance with him some more.”

Before Teresa could protest any further, Lilo pushed her right up beside the tall boy. He turned and nearly jumped, seeing that Teresa was right by him. He started sweating and fidgeting slightly, and Teresa was too. Both of them were sporting an incredibly flush face. Lilo quickly returned to the group finding them all watching intently.

Only Lilo and Stitch could hear what they were saying. Elena was right, Teresa did like the tall boy. Her confession brought a smile to his face. Lilo could see relief wash over his light skin. He fixed his light brown hair into place as he told her that he liked her too, quickly asking if she would like to dance again. Teresa nodded without saying a word, her face still red, but smiling greatly. She looked back at her friends as she was dragged off to the dance floor. Elena and Yuki mocked her with kissy faces but everyone was genuinely happy for her.

Stitch grasped Lilo’s hand, squeezing it tight. He felt his spirits lighten at the memory of his confession to her. Lilo felt a small jolt from his hand, sparking her into wanting to dance again with him again.

“I think Styles and I are going to go dance some more too. Anyone want to join us?” Lilo asked as she started shifting away from the group.

“I’m still too tired.” Victoria complained. “You can go if you like, Keoni.”

“Nah. I’m cool staying her with you.” Victoria smiled at his comment, also feeling a little flush.

“Elena? Yuki?”

“I think we should go find Myrtle.” Yuki stated with a slightly defeated look. “I haven’t seen her for a while, she’s probably upset that we ditched her.”

“Do we have to?” Elena said, flopping into a chair with her arms crossed. “I’m still mad at her for making us wear these stupid costumes.”

“Come on.” Yuki pulled Elena out of the chair. “You know how she’ll get if we leave her.”

“Fine.” Elena was defeated. She followed Yuki as they went in search of their supposed leader.

 Lilo and Stitch went off on their own. The dance floor had died down quite a bit.  Only a couple handfuls of people had remained. Stitch enjoyed dancing like this a lot more. Without the crowd, he didn’t feel as cramped and it was easier to focus on his girlfriend. Lilo on the other hand, preferred when they were dancing hula together. She felt a strong connection to Stitch when they danced their dance of love. She had always believed that love was more powerful than death, and she could feel that love in her now more than ever. The dancing was cut short when the music suddenly stopped. The DJ grabbed his microphone to make an announcement.

“This one is for all the couples out there.” He said in a soft voice.

With a flick on his mix board the building was filled with music again, however, it was a completely different mood. A slow song rang throughout, one that was meant to be danced together as a couple. The part that drew Lilo in the most though, was that it was Elvis.

Lilo and Stitch looked around and saw that couples had begun to slow dance. The floor quickly lost those without partners, and even some of the adults joined in. Victoria and Keoni had joined the group of dancers, as well as Teresa and her new date. Lilo looked at Stitch, who was offering his hand to her and her heart began to race again.

“I’ve never slow danced before.” She said a little embarrassed, she wasn’t expecting this at all.

“Neither have meega.” Stitch replied simply. He took her hand and placed it on his shoulder, while taking her other hand in his and wrapping his free hand around her waist. He pulled her close and whispered into her ear, “Let’s learn together.”

With Stitch taking the lead the two began to dance in their loving embrace. Lilo couldn’t help but look down at her feet, trying her best not to step on Stitch’s toes like her older sister had years before. Unable to see Lilo’s face, Stitch kissed the top of her head, bringing her attention right back up to him. He smiled greatly, Lilo noticed that even in human form, Stitch’s nose would scrunch up when he really smiled. It reassured her that everything would be okay.

“Just be yourself.” He told her for the second and last time that night. Lilo let herself go, getting swept up in Stitch’s love and the sweet voice of the king. She felt like she was flying again, like that night that Stitch had carried her home. With confidence filling her, she started to get the hang of moving in time with Stitch. To her, it was a lot like hula, only in an embrace. What really amazed her was how well Stitch was dancing, for never having done it before.

The entire time Stitch smiled, he secretly was making sure not to step on Lilo’s feet, or accidentally lead them into another couple. He saw the confidence in Lilo grow, and it lit a fire inside him. After a few moments he too caught onto moving together in sync. To anyone who was watching them, they looked like they had been dancing together their whole lives. Stitch rested his forehead on Lilo’s, both closed their eyes as they let the music, the moment, and their movements bring them closer together once again. Feeling that connection, like they were one.

Myrtle stood on the sidelines, face distorted in anger. She heard murmurings around her about how cute and adorable everyone thought Lilo and Styles were. She looked over to her date, sitting in a chair against the wall, getting even angrier.

“Really? You’re not going to ask _me_ to dance?” She spat at him.

He rubbed his full stomach, letting out a small burp. “Nah. I’m too full, I can’t even move.”

“Ugh.” Myrtle stomped off, putting her face in her hands. “Why is tonight going so wrong?”

Meanwhile, Lilo and Stitch were off in their own world. Picturing themselves back in that empty space where they could feel each part of the other. The soothing voice of Elvis filled the area with them. They opened their eyes as one, looking deeply into the other. Stitch loved the way the lights shone on Lilo. If her smile didn’t already light up the room before, it did now. Her eye’s sparkled like a million stars. He closed the distance between them, holding onto her tight. The sudden shift in space took Lilo by surprise. She wrapped her arms around his neck, as his arms wrapped around her waist. She slightly missed the second pair of arms he could normally hold her with, but the warmth he normally radiated was still there. Ultimately, he was still himself, even down to his smell, and she loved it.

“This night has been amazing.” She whispered.

“It has. Meega really happy we could come tonight.” He replied softly, feeling her dress shift slightly under his touch.

“You’re human form turned out better than I could imagine. No one has any idea it’s you.”

“Do you really like the way I look now?”

“Of course. You’re so handsome, you look really amazing. I love it, silly.”

Stitch felt his heart drop a little. “Would…youga prefer if meega stayed this way?”

“What?” Lilo asked completely taken aback. “Why would you ask that?”

“If meega stay like this, weega no longer have to hide.” Lilo could hear the concern in his voice, she could tell he was being completely serious. “If meega were human, there would be no problems. Youga no longer have to hide it from Nani.”

Lilo could hear his words, but it was like it wasn’t processing quite right. Like the whole idea was off. For a long time she had fantasized about telling her sister, about letting everyone know her love for Stitch. He was right though. If he was Styles, they wouldn’t have any problems. No one would question them, it would be completely normal. Normal. Something she had never been, something she thought she could never be. That was until Stitch came along, and showed her that being herself was more important. To accept her for who she is. While the offer to stay as Styles clearly had its benefits, what would happen to Stitch? The little blue companion she had come to love. He would basically be gone forever. Sure, Styles was Stitch, but it wouldn’t be the same Stitch. _I can’t ask him to do that. I want him to be him. It doesn’t matter if it would be easier, I want him as he has always been._

Stitch waited for Lilo’s answer. He was almost sure she would want him to stay human. Who wouldn’t? All the secrecy, lies, and problems would be solved. His heart lifted as he saw Lilo’s head begin to shake.

“No.” She said, the word filled with so much love and care. “I want you to be yourself, Stitch. Just like how you want me to be myself.”

“Are youga sure?”

“Yes. I love you just the way you always are. I fell in love with my little blue Stitch. That’s how I want to be with you forever. I love you Stitch.”

“Meega love you too, Lilo. My boojiboo.”

Not caring who was around, Lilo leaned up into Stitch, pulling him into a kiss. A lot of kids looked away out of disgust, but there was a general collective awe from the crowd. The room could feel their love for each other wash over them. It was a magical moment that filled the two and lit up the room. The kiss lasted for several moments as the song slowly came to an end. With the sounds of the music slowly fading away, Lilo and Stitch pulled away, already missing the feel of each other’s lips. With faces glowing from smiles and a red tone, they breathed as one.

“That’s it!” Their glasses wearing foe snarled. Myrtle quickly found Elena and Yuki, not bothering to try and round up Teresa after she saw him with some boy. She told the two what they were going to do for her, surprised yet again to gain resistance from them.

“Do we have to?” Elena said, completely devastated.

“Yeah, Myrtle. This seems like too much.” Yuki added, looking really worried. “I don’t think Lilo deserves something like that.”

“And why not?” Myrtle crossed her arms as she stuck her nose up, looking at them with squinted eyes through the bottom of her glasses. “You two haven’t ever had issues making fun of her before.”

The two girls looked at each other, filled with guilt. She was right, but this was different. Yuki stepped forward first. “This isn’t just making fun of her though.”

“Yeah.” Elena said, sounding a little weaker than her friend. “Teasing is one thing, but I really like Lilo.”

“I do too.” Yuki added.

“You _like_ her?” Myrtle’s words were like poison. “But she’s weird.”

“Yeah, but she’s also really nice. She’s never done anything wrong to us.”

Myrtle started counting on her fingers. “She’s bit me. Hit me. Licked me. And humiliated me, all on numerous occasions.”

“Yeah, you. Not us.” Elena told her off as she crossed her arms, finally getting some courage to stand up to her friend.

“And you started all those things first.” Yuki added in afterwards.

Myrtle gritted her teeth. “I’m going to forget you two said any of this, and you’re going to help me. Or else.”

“Or else what?” They asked in unison.

Myrtle didn’t answer. Instead she just looked at them through cold squinted eyes. Glaring daggers at them, she sent a shiver down their spine. Instantly, all their courage washed away as they gulped in fear. Myrtle took a few steps towards them, willing to make her friends fear her, scaring them into submission, if it meant that she would get what she wanted.

A weird shiver ran down Lilo’s back, feeling like someone was talking about her. She pushed the thought out of her mind as she held onto Stitch’s arm. The music had completely stopped and now Moses finally appeared on the stage, microphone in hand.

“Hello everyone. Thank you all for coming. This dance has been a wonderful night hasn’t it? It is now time to do the voting for best couple. Everyone who would like to enter, please meet me at the desk near the front of the room for a picture and your names.”

Lilo and Stitch nodded, knowing that this was finally it. They were the first in line, however not a lot of couples were entering. Once the entry submission was finished there were only four couples who had decided to be a part of the competition.

The board read: Lilo and Styles, Victoria and Keoni, Teresa and Kanye, and finally Myrtle and Ano. Lilo and Stitch casted their votes, and then decided to wait for the results.

They talked with their friends for a little while, enjoying more snacks and drinks as the voting continued. They all decided to keep who they voted for a secret. It felt like forever, but eventually Moses returned to the stage, a card in hand.

“Attention everyone. The votes are all in. Thank you all who voted and entered. We will be going in reverse order, starting with third, then second, then finally first place and the honorable mention.” Moses waited for the murmuring to finally die down. “Now then, third place couple is-“

 

 


	21. Just the Beginning

All the couples waited in anticipation as Moses withheld the names for a few moments. Victoria had her fingers crossed, wishing more that Myrtle’s name wasn’t called than her own name being called. Looking out onto the waiting crowd, Moses took a deep breath before finally revealing the names.

“Teresa and Kanye.”

Teresa’s eyes went wide in surprise, she wasn’t expecting it at all. She and Kanye made their way up to the stage where Moses presented them with handmade lei crowns. There was a light applause from the crowd as the two just blushed and held hands. Feeling a little more than embarrassed, Teresa and Kanye returned to the group in front of the stage, receiving a lot of congratulations from her friends.

Teresa looked around, unable to see her other friends with them. “Where are Elena and Yuki?” She asked no one in particular.

“I don’t know.” Lilo said as she too looked around.

“I haven’t seen them since they went looking for Myrtle.” Victoria added.

 _For Myrtle…_ Teresa felt worried, not knowing if it was a good or bad thing that they didn’t see the two girls around.

“Alright everyone. It’s time for second place.” Moses continued announcing, as he shuffled to the next card. “The second place couple is… Victoria and Keoni!”

Victoria’s arms dropped in surprise. She wasn’t even planning on entering until Keoni suggested that they should.  She stood, stunned. She felt Lilo’s arms wrap around her in a hug, congratulating her. After a few moments she finally got control of herself, taking Keoni’s hand as they left the crowd. On her way up the stairs to the stage, she realized what exactly this meant. _Either Lilo or Myrtle are going to win._ Her eye’s darted around, looking for Myrtle in the audience. It didn’t take long for the girls blazing orange hair to be spotted amongst the crowd.

It was difficult to see from the distance and the lack of light, but it looked like she was smirking greatly. Looking both confident and satisfied with herself. _Perfect. This couldn’t be going more beautifully._ Myrtle grabbed her date’s arm and pulled him to the front of the crowd.

“We’re going to win this, I can feel it.” She said, confidence oozing from her.

“I don’t understand why this is so important.” Ano stated, quickly shutting his mouth once he saw the look Myrtle shot at him.

“It’s important, because I can’t let Weirdlo win.” She tugged on him harder, pushing people out of the way as they moved by. “What do you care? You already got your gift card to my daddy’s store. All you needed to do was stand there and make me look better than Lilo.”

Ano shrugged his shoulders as he was pulled away by her. Myrtle reached the front of the crowd just as Keoni and Victoria reached their friends. They too were wearing lei crowns, slightly more extravagant than Teresa and Kanye’s.

“It really suits you.” Lilo told her as she gave her another hug.

“Really?” Victoria picked at it, trying to get it into a comfortable place. “It doesn’t look weird?”

“It looks great.” Keoni said as he put his arm around her shoulder. “And yours smells really good too. Kind of like pomegranates.”

Victoria went flush and her eyes went wide from embarrassment. “Really? That’s funny.” She said with a nervous laugh. Lilo covered her mouth slightly, suppressing a chuckle. The mood was short lived once Myrtle finally made her way to their group.

“I guess it’s just down to you and me, Weirdlo.” She announced, putting her hands on her hips. “Which means that it’s really just down to me.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Lilo retorted, looking towards the stage.

“You really think you have a chance?” Stitch stepped forward, putting his arm around Lilo’s waist. “I suppose with Styles I could have expected you to maybe get third. But clearly now I’m going to win.” She flipped her hair around as she too faced the stage. Everyone just rolled their eyes, deciding it was best to just ignore her for now.

“Okay everyone.” Moses said, as he tapped the microphone. “We have come down to the final two coupes. Would Lilo, Styles, Myrtle, and Ano please come to the stage?”

The four made their way up. Once up top, Myrtle stole a quick glance behind the stage walls, seeing Elena and Yuki on either side. They were both holding a plastic tub. The two hid until Lilo and Styles were no longer looking in their directions. They stood at the ready, completely devastated about what they were going to do. Yuki was about to back out when Myrtle’s eyes caught hers. _I guess I just need to get this over with._ She sighed sadly, waiting for her cue.

The last two couples stood on the stage, everyone’s eyes on them. Seeing that they were ready, Moses shuffled to the final card.

“Looks like everyone is ready. I will now announce the winner of best couple.“ Moses paused before finally revealing the winner. Lilo and Stitch looked at each other, lovingly. Stitch smiled a reassuring smile as he wrapped his arm around her, holding her close. “The winners are-“

Myrtle began stepping forward, already sure that she was going to win. “Lilo and Styles”

“Thank yo-“Myrtle began before completely freezing. “What?”

Lilo’s heart nearly stopped. She couldn’t believe they actually won. She felt Stitch’s hand squeeze her shoulder, and she looked into his shining blue eyes. “We won?”

“We won.” He told her, seeing the excitement slowly come to her face. Their mouths grew into giant smiles, taking over their faces completely. With tears starting to fill her eyes, she grabbed onto Stitch. He picked her up and began spinning her. The crowd applauded, happy for the young couple. No one clapped louder than Victoria and Keoni though, who even threw in a whistle for them. Stitch let Lilo down, and pulled her into an extremely happy kiss.

Most of the young kids in the audience turned away, disgusted by the display of love. Myrtle also turned away from the two, anger boiling her blood. “Ugh.” She crossed her arms. Completely and utterly defeated. A second later, an evil smile came across her face. Since she had lost, her plan was now set.

Lilo and Stitch started to step forward for Moses to present them with their prize. Lilo saw Myrtle’s grin, but didn’t think anything of it. To her, she had finally won. She had truly beat Myrtle. After all the years of torture, she could finally hold something definitive above Myrtle Edmonds. With another sad sigh of defeat, Yuki and Elena opened their tubs.  Stepping to just the edge the back of the stage so that no one could see them, they each tossed what was in their tubs towards Lilo.

The couple stopped walking, they could suddenly smell something they didn’t before. Lilo could feel the change in the air as something was coming towards them. Reacting more than thinking, they both dived to the side. Landing on the stage hard, Lilo looked back to where they were standing just a moment before. A giant gob of white glue flew by. Immediately after, a combination of leaves, dirt, and dead flowers flew through the air. With Lilo and Stitch out of the way, both projectiles flew right towards Myrtle.

With a look of sheer terror, she brought up her hands in a pathetic effort to block her fate. Everyone wince as she was pelted, and in looking back, saw her completely covered head to toe. All the dirt. Leaves, and grime was held in place by the glue, completely matting her hair and ruining her shiny dress. Everyone in the crowd couldn’t help but laugh at how Myrtle looked now. Looking down at herself, Myrtle screamed loudly. She had never been humiliated so badly. No longer thinking, she started backing up, not watching where she was going. Yuki and Elena were blown away at what had happened, secretly satisfied that it did. Even Moses chuckled a little at how Myrtle now looked. Stitch rushed to Lilo’s side, making sure she was okay. Telling him that she was, he then helped her up.

Lilo looked over at Myrtle, seeing that she was really close to the edge of the stage, near the large speaker. “Myrtle! Watch where you’re going!”

“Don’t look at me!” The mess of the girl shouted, covering her face from the crowd. She went to run from the stage, but caught her foot on one of the cables connected to the speaker. Like she did earlier in the week, she started to fall off the stage, this time bringing the cable and speaker down with her.

“Oh no.” Lilo whispered. The sound equipment was much larger than the young girl, if someone didn’t do something, Myrtle could be severely injured. “Stitch!”

With a nod, the two moved into actual action for the first time since the Leroy battle. Not caring who saw them, they ran at full speed, reaching the floor beneath Myrtle before she did. The young girl screamed as she landed on the floor with a loud thud, flinching as she waited for the impending heavy weight to fall on her. A crash of metal followed instantly after, everyone in the building stopped laughing as they realized something horrible had just happened before them.

Yuki and Elena looked at each other, also seeing what had just happened. They threw their respective tubs and ran out of the back of the building. They hoped that no one had seen that it was them that had thrown the stuff at Myrtle.

Myrtle slowly opened her eyes, realizing that she wasn’t crushed. Looking above her, her eyes went wide seeing that Lilo and Styles were holding the speaker above them. “Wha…”

“You okay?” Lilo asked, showing real concern for the girl that had caused her more pain than anyone. Myrtle quickly got out from under the speaker, unsure of how long the two could hold it. They leaned it up against the side of the stage, dusting off their hands afterward. Moses and Victoria rushed over, checking to see that the three were okay.

“You saved me.” Myrtle stated, more surprised than anything. “Why did you save me, when I?” She trailed off, shutting her mouth at the light snickering she heard from behind her.

“When you what?” Stitch asked, raising an eyebrow.

“We only did what we had to.” Lilo stated, still wondering if Myrtle was actually okay.

Moses got down on his knee, putting his hand on her shoulder. “Myrtle, are you okay? Are you hurt? Do you need anything?”

“I’m fine.” She said, looking away from everyone. Moses took his hand off of her, strands of glue coming with it.

“Eww.” Victoria said, scrunching her nose in disgust as a few pebbles fell from Myrtle’s shoulder. Victoria shook her head, remembering why she rushed over in the first place. “Lilo, Sti-Styles, are you two okay? That was amazing.”

“Yeah.” The two said at the same time.

“We’re fine.” Lilo added in.

Once Moses was sure that the three of them were okay, he looked at the speaker then back to Lilo. “Lilo. How did you two lift this? Its way too heavy for kids your size.”

“It’s because they’re freaks!” Myrtle shouted, suddenly. She saw an opportunity to expose Lilo’s weirdness to everyone for good and she took it. “I’ve been saying it for years. This proves it.”

“Myrtle.” Moses shot a glare at her, shutting her up.

“It was probably adrenaline.” Victoria said quickly. “I read once somewhere that when someone you care about is in trouble, people do amazing feats.”

“They’re still freaks!” Myrtle said again, wiping some sagging glue away from her mouth.

Moses addressed Myrtle once again. “Myrtle. I think there is something you should say to Lilo and Styles.”

“Humph.” She huffed as she turned away, seeing the snickers of the crowd once she was facing them. “I have nothing to say to these too.” _They completely ruined my night._

“Myrtle.” He said sternly. “They helped you, now what do you say?”

Myrtle stayed quiet for a few moments. _Why do I have to thank them? They didn’t do anything for me._ She thought about what could have happened to her if they hadn’t done anything, though. _Ugh. Fine._ “Thanks.” She said in spite of herself before running out of the building to go home.

Once everything had calmed down, Lilo, Stitch, and Moses returned to the stage. Moses presented them each with an extravagant handmade headdress, as well they were given a gift card redeemable for a free meal for two at any restaurant in the town.

Once Lilo and Stitch left the stage, Moses had one more announcement to make. “Thank you everyone who came out this evening. We had a few snags, but it was a really great evening. Congratulations to our winners, as well. I hope we will be able to have you all here again next year.”

With that final announcement, everyone started to clear the building. Lilo and her friends had one last drink together before they finally made their way outside to say their good-byes.

“Would it be okay with you,” Kanye began nervously, rubbing the back of his head, “if I walked you home?”

Teresa blushed, hearing the childish snickers from Lilo and Victoria. “S-sure.” She felt her face continue to grow warmer as he took her hand. “See you later, Lilo. Bye, everyone.”

“Aloha.” They all said together as they waved them off.

“Well. I think it’s time I headed home too.” Victoria said, giving Lilo a hug good-bye.

“I’ll walk you home.” Keoni stated right after. “See ya, Lilo. Nice meeting you, Styles.”

“You too.” Stitch said with a smile. “Have a good night.”

Once their friends were out of sight, Lilo and Stitch looked at each other lovingly.

“I suppose meega should take youga home too.” Stitch said with laugh.

“Why thank you, kind gentleman.” Lilo replied. “Are you going to be able to come home tonight?”

“Ih. Morpholomew will change meega back at his house.”

The two walked home together. Enjoying the end of their night. With everything that had happened, being outside in the cool night breeze felt good on their skin.  Neither one spoke, in fear of ruining the beautiful atmosphere. Lilo enjoyed the sound of night on the island. It was very distinctively different from the sounds she heard in the day. She had never been able to appreciate the beauty and change her home made when the sun set. The insects and nocturnal birds sang their songs that filled the air, she felt like she could hear the entire island still filled with life. Every so often she would hear the sound of a car pass by on the close highway, then an animal make a sound in response.

Lilo suddenly felt an urge to run, run as fast as she could. She wanted to feel the wind through her hair. Feeling a sudden disappointment in her inability to run fast in her dress, she stared at the ground, sadly.

“Youga okay?” Stitch asked, noticing the sad look on his girlfriend’s face.

“Yeah.” Lilo said with a sigh. “I just wish we could run.” A smile came to her face as she imagined that feeling of flight she experience before. She skipped forward with a twirl. “I love feeling like I’m flying through the air. It’s so magical.”

Stitch smiled, loving that she enjoys her new abilities. It’s something he always wanted to share with her, and now he could. “How about this?”

“Huh?” Before Lilo knew it, Stitch was at her side, he brought the bottom of her dress up, tying it around her waist. He turned her dress into a makeshift pair of shorts, giving her at least a little more mobility.

“Does that work?” He asked, looking up into her now beaming face.

“Only one way to find out.” Lilo instantly took off, leaving Stitch kneeling on the side of the road. He chuckled before running after her, catching up to her in nearly an instant. The two flew through the streets and the forest, taking the long way around to their home. _I’m never going to get tired of this._ Lilo thought as she weaved through a few trees. The adventure was short lived as Lilo noticed it was getting close to her curfew. Knowing she could continue her fun any time now, they quickly ran home.

 

Meanwhile, Nani had been waiting in the living room the entire time. Her eyes would dart to the clock every so often, even though she knew Lilo still had time to get home. She took a sip from her cup of coffee, pulling back as she burnt her tongue. Her knee shook as she took another look at the clock, seeing that it hadn’t moved.

“Five more minutes.” She told herself, flicking on the television, hoping to take her mind off of everything. “She’s fine, she’ll be okay. Stitch is with her.” _Not that that has really kept her safe before._ She thought about all the times they had been in danger. All the trips to space, all the attacks from Hamsterveil. She shook her head. “It’s just a dance with a boy. A date. That’s all. Nothing bad can happen.”

Her attention was quickly drawn to the door as it creaked open.

“Lilo!” She shouted as she pulled her younger sister into a hug, knocking off Lilo’s headdress in the process. She didn’t notice Lilo’s dressed tied around her legs.

“Nani.” Lilo said with difficulty.

“Yes sweetie?”

“You’re crushing me.”

“Oh.” She let go of Lilo, grinning nervously. “Sorry. I was just… never mind. So? Did you two have fun?”

“It was amazing. We won best couple!”

“Really? Congratulations. And you got home just in time, good job, Styles.” She addressed the disguised Stitch.

“It was no problem.” He said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well. I should probably be going.”

“Do you need a ride home?” Nani offered, grabbing her car keys of the bookshelf by the door.

“No!” Both of them said at once. Nani raised an eyebrow, about to question the sudden outburst.

“I don’t live too far away.” Stitch quickly added, seeing Nani’s suspicion grow. “I like walking, too.”

Nani just shrugged. She put the keys back and then leaned against the wall, letting the two say their good byes.

Lilo quickly gave him a hug ‘good-bye.’ “Don’t be long.” She whispered in his ear.

“I won’t.” He whispered back, leaving the house immediately after.

Once the door was closed, Lilo started telling Nani about the evening. Once Lilo was done, Nani asked where Stitch was. She gave the excuse that Stitch was making sure Styles made it home okay. While they were talking, Stitch quickly ran to Morpholomew’s home. Once he was changed he thanked his cousin once again, not mentioning that his date was Lilo. Before returning home, he first stopped by Jumba’s spaceship. He dropped off his headdress for safe keeping. Giving it one last smile before hiding it away for good. He returned home, being asked by Nani if Styles made it home okay.

“Huh?” He was slightly confused, closing the door slowly. Seeing Lilo signal him to go along with it, he quickly understood what was happening. “Uh, Ih. He home safe.”

“That’s good. It’s getting late now. I believe it’s time that you two should be getting to bed.” Nani said, pushing Lilo towards the hall. She watched as the two, ascended the lift. For a second she thought she saw them holding hands, but shook if off as being a little tired from worrying so much. She returned to the living room, feeling relieved that her sister was safe at home.

Lilo and Stitch laid in bed, slowly falling asleep. It had been a busy day for the two. Really, it had been quite the busy week. They talked about all the things that had happened to them, and how excited they were for the upcoming memories they would make. Before finally falling asleep, they shared one last sweet tender kiss for the evening. Lilo reveled in being able to feel the real Stitch again. She thought about his question from earlier. About him staying in human form.

“I never want you to change.” She whispered between kisses.

“Meega never want youga to change either.” He replied softly.

Once they finally parted, it didn’t take long for sleep to take Stitch. The final run to the other side of town and back had taken a lot out of him. Lilo laid awake just a little longer. Looking at his chest slowly rise and fall as he breathed through parted lips. She couldn’t get over just how cute he was, again wishing that she had realized her feelings sooner. _I love you exactly how you are, Stitch. Now nothing will ever be able to change that._ She gave his nose one last kiss, giggling at the smile that quickly grew on his face from her touch. _This is really just the beginning of the rest of our life together._ With that final thought, sleep finally took over her, bringing her sweet dreams of a perfect life of being with Stitch.

**Between Us; Rings – Programming Arc End**

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can now buy Between Us; Rings: Final Programming Stage arc in book form! With some edits and updates to fix some errors here and there! PM me for details.


	22. Midnight Surf

It had been four years since Lilo and Stitch had first confessed their feelings for one another. Somehow, they had managed to keep their relationship hidden from most of the world as well. Lilo wished that she could tell her sister, but she knew she wouldn’t understand. While Stitch was the first one to have his final programming begin, he didn’t end up being the last. It didn’t take long for the bonds of the other experiment couples to grow strong enough for it to begin.

As soon as Jumba was notified of the active experiments, he, Lilo, and Stitch would go and try to explain to them what was happening and then help them. The first ones were Angel and Rueben. A couple weeks after Stitch’s episode, Rueben confessed his long time feelings for Angel, which she happily returned. Lilo and Stitch were happy for them, they really did make a cute couple. Since they had already known about the machine, it was easy for their bond to be permanently set. Some of the other experiments proved a challenge though.

A trip to Pleakley’s home planet proved more difficult then they initially thought. Mr. Stenchy and Mrs. Sickly made it nearly impossible for the trio to step on the planet. Even the home inhabitants, who normally loved the smell, began finding them repulsive. Out of protection of the other, they started secreting a smell that would drive away anyone. Surprisingly, it was even harder to find them then they initially thought. The two hid out in a cave, trying their best to stay away from any civilized areas. Not that anyone was trying to get close to them. Once they were put in the machine though, the smell went back to normal.

The most difficult experiments to help were Yin and Yang. Having hid themselves away on an island of their own creation, they protected themselves with a flurry of magma and water. It became a state of emergency for Lilo and Stitch. They had been held off for a few days and the longer they couldn’t get to them, the worse they would end up becoming. With some help from Angel and Rueben, they were finally able to get to Yin and Yang and explain what was happening to them. After explaining, the two kept control long enough to get into the machine.

Most recently, Noise and Sample’s programming was activated. Thankfully, their abilities made them easy to locate, and Lilo and Stitch were more than capable of handling them physically. Once they saw the strength that Lilo possessed, they were more than willing to listen to what they had to say.

Because the machine was initially created for the experiments, they didn’t experience the same changes that Lilo and Stitch had. Lilo’s change in genetics was most noticeable after entering high school. When all of her friends began having their growth spurts, Lilo had only grown a little. It was something they had prepared for, and truly she didn’t care. She was only a few inches shorter than Victoria after all. No one questioned Lilo’s lack in growth, thinking she would just be on the shorter side. Like Jumba had predicted, Stitch began to grow at the same rate that Lilo did. Originally, none of the experiments were designed to grow or show age, Stitch was the only one who would ever show signs of aging. No matter what change had come before them all that mattered was that they were happy in love.

Despite having to keep their relationship a secret, the two of them couldn’t be happier. The secrecy had even kept it more exciting. Lilo had explained to Nani that Styles had returned to Maui, but that he would come visit whenever he could. Nani had offered to take her to visit him if she liked, but Lilo declined the offer. Whenever they felt like Nani or Pleakley were starting to suspect something was up between them, a surprise visit or date with Styles made the two think Lilo would have a happy relationship with the boy. As for Lilo’s abilities, her strength and speed continued to grow a little as she aged, making it something she still tried to get the hang of. Her senses also continued to heighten, but after the incident at the dance, she focused on adapting and managed to get completely used to it.

Shortly after the dance, Elena and Yuki confessed what they were meant to do to Lilo. Lilo, much to their surprise, forgave them. They had continued to be Myrtle’s friend over the years, but the continued abuse was making it more and more difficult for them to continue that way. Teresa and Kanye’s relationship didn’t last, but they had fun while they were together. Whereas Victoria and Keoni’s relationship stayed strong. Recently, they decided to reveal the entire truth of Stitch and the experiments to him. He had been surprised at first, but quickly got used to it. He was even supportive of Lilo and Stitch’s relationship.

Life on the little island of Kaua’i was truly paradise for everyone. However, it wasn’t only Lilo, Stitch, their friends, and cousin’s that had a love that flourished.

**Four months before Lilo and Stitch’s fourth anniversary.**

“Are you sure we have time for this?” Nani asked as she checked her watch. It was starting to get late, and Nani didn’t want to make Lilo worry.

“Oh it’ll be fine, Nani.” David said, driving to a secret destination. “It’s not every day we get to have a night like this together. Let’s just enjoy it.”

“Well, maybe you’re right.” Nani rested her arm out the open window. Despite it being fall, the wind had been warm the last few days.

“I am right.” David said cheekily. He had already let Lilo in on his plan. She and Stitch were already in place, ready for their cue. “You know, she’s become very reliable now. She isn’t the same little girl she once was.”

“I know.” Nani thought about how much her sister really had grown. She was given a lot of responsibility at a young age. Despite being hot headed and childish at times, she was really turning into a fine young lady. “She’ll always be my little sister though.”

After a little more driving, David finally pulled off to the side of the road, coming to a complete stop. “We’re here.”

Nani got out of the car, looking around and seeing nothing but an empty beach. The ocean was completely still, reflecting the moon and stars on its cool dark surface. “Where’s here?” She asked, confused as to what David was planning.

“Our own little private slice of ocean.” David said, pulling two surfboards out of the back seat.

“David. It’s late.” Putting her hand on the hood of the car, she started tapping her fingers against the metal body. “And besides, look.” She directed to the water before them. “There aren’t even any waves.”

David planted the two boards in the nearby sand. While Nani wasn’t looking, he turned to the trees on the other side of the road, a little blue head poked out from behind the foliage. David gave Stitch a thumbs up, telling him it was time. Stitch swung around back into hiding, getting on his communicator he told Lilo it was time to start.

“Okay, Cannonball.” Lilo said, giving him a slight push. “Time to do your thing.”

With a happy laugh, the large bottomed experiment hopped out into the ocean, completely out of sight from the beach.

Back by the car, Stitch poked his head out again. Switching between his night vision and regular vision he signaled to David that the waves would be coming shortly.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Nani.” He said, grabbing his board. “Sometimes, you just gotta wait.” Just like he planned, the waves started rolling towards them, breaking the smooth mirror like surface of the water. “Come on! It’ll be fun!”

David ran towards the water, pulling off his t-shirt and shorts, revealing his swim trunks underneath. Nani rolled her eyes, she saw that in the backseat of the car was her bathing suit. With a sigh, she grabbed it and the surfboard and quickly changed in the nearby changing area.

David waited a few yards out on the water, slowly rising and falling with each wave as it passed. “I see you decided to join after all.” He said as he heard splashing coming from behind.

“You’re just lucky the waters warm, you know that?”

“I’m lucky for many reasons.” He said to the side, just barely loud enough to hear.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.” David said, brushing off her question. “Let’s go have some fun.”

The two paddled out together as the waves started rolling in more frequently. Once she got into it, Nani couldn’t stop. She caught every wave she could, loving the feeling of cutting up and down the sparkling wall of water. The wind blew her salt filled hair, captivating David with every move she made. At points he forgot that he was supposed to be surfing as well. With a splash of water to the face, David saw that Nani had already pulled up beside him. Giving him a kiss on the cheek she motioned for him to join her, which he happily accepted. Both of them caught the next wave together, Nani above David. As they rode the wave, they fought for who would come out on top. Being the more skilled of the two, Nani took it with ease. David on the other hand, wiped out as the wave crashed down over him, just like he had hoped.

Having seen David go under, Lilo addressed the shark like experiment wading in the water. “Okay, Sinker. It’s your turn.”

With lightning quick speed, Sinker swam straight to David who was keeping himself out of sight. Once he reached the man, he revealed the small plastic baggy in his mouth. David grabbed the bag and put it in his pocket before returning to the surface. With Sinker’s return, Lilo informed Stitch that it was time for them to head home. Cannonball also finished creating waves, calming the sea once more.

“David! Are you okay?” Nani asked as she paddled over. “That looked like it really knocked you one.”

“Ah. I’m fine.” David replied, brushing it off as nothing, despite it actually hurting a little. He put his hair back in place once he was up on his board, seeing that the ocean had stilled once again.

“I guess that’s it for tonight. Huh?” Nani scanned the horizon, looking for any sign of another wave.

“It’s not everything.” David said, gathering as much courage as he could.

“What do you…” Nani looked at him, finding him looking only at her. The look on his face that told her that nothing else in the world mattered but her. “…mean?”

David shifted his board so that he was facing her directly, taking in her shining eyes completely. “Nani. I’ve known you for a long time now. We’ve been through a lot together. Some things more unexpected than others.” He was specifically remembering the time he was surfing and a giant spaceship landed right behind him. “But there’s one thing I’ve known since the moment I met you.”

“David?” Nani had a feeling what was happening. The spontaneous romantic evening was something she was used to with him, but this entire night felt like something was about to happen. “What are you saying?”

“I’ve loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you.” David pulled out the baggy from his pocket. “I don’t have much to offer, but I would give it all for you.” He opened the plastic bag and took her hand. Turning the bag on its side, a small silver ring with a single small diamond gently fell into her palm. While the ring was light, it felt like it weighed the world. “Nani. Will you marry me?”

Nani didn’t know what to say, or what to do. She was completely frozen. Despite the ocean lying flat, she felt like she was rocking all over the place. The man before her, the man she loved, was asking to be with her forever. Despite all the craziness that surrounded her family, he wanted to forever be a part of it. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth, stifling the gasp that finally wanted to escape her lips. She could feel tears start to swell up in her eyes. As they trailed down, they mixed with the salty water slowly drying on her.

“Well?” David asked, bringing Nani out of her daze. She suddenly realized that she had forgotten to breath and finally let air back into her body.

“Yes.” She said, placing the ring on her finger. “Yes, David. Are you lolo? Of course it’s a yes!”

Neither one really remembers the next few moments after Nani had given her answer. Only a blur of images and the faint feeling of water engulfing them filled their minds after, was how they would tell the story. When Nani finally returned home, she told the family the big news, to which Lilo and Stitch pretended to be surprised. The wedding was set for eight months exactly from that day.

**Present Day**

“Hurry up, Lilo!” Nani called from the hallway below the dome room. “You’re going to be late for school.”

 _Not likely._ Lilo thought as she pulled her red t-shirt on. Pulling her long hair out through the hole, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her red shirt had a few white flower prints along the bottom, and as per usual, she was wearing tan knee length shorts. She still preferred wearing her mu’umu’u, but it didn’t let her move as freely when she had to run fast. Considering school was starting in twenty minutes, she would need to run as fast as she could. _Maybe I should start getting ready earlier._ She looked to her still unmade bed, all ruffled from her and Stitch sleeping in it as they always did. _Nah. I’d much prefer sleeping in with Stitch._

“Remember, Nani.” Lilo yelled out, running to the door, grabbing her backpack along the way. “Stitch and I will be home late tonight!”

“I know!” She called from the kitchen. “Just don’t slam the-“Lilo slammed the door shut, not hearing what her sister was about to say. “Door.” She placed her hand on the wall, stopping the picture that was hung from falling. She moved her hand away, revealing a photo of their family back after the Galactic Federation allowed them to keep Stitch. In front was her little Lilo, hugging the strange and new addition to their family. “It’s hard to believe that it’s been nine years since then.”

“What was that?” Pleakley said, walking in with his feet completely covered in dirt and mud.

“Pleakley!” Nani shouted at the sight of him leaving a trail all over the floor. “I just mopped there!” _I guess some things don’t change._

 

Once Lilo was outside, she spotted Stitch waiting for her at the bottom of the steps.

“What took youga so long?” He asked as she slid down the banister to him.

“A girl needs to look good on her anniversary you know.” She stated, looking away from him in a mock pout.

Stitch smirked at her comment and act. “Youga always look beautiful.”

“And you’re always handsome.” She replied as she kissed the top of his head. She liked that he was growing with her. He was always just a little more than a foot shorter than her, just like when they were still kids. She could smell a bit of coconut and strawberry coming off of his fur. “Smells like you also wanted to look good today.”

Stitch blushed at her comment. He had hoped she wouldn’t notice, but knew it was inevitable anyway with her sense of smell. He laughed guiltily and flashed his big toothy smile. “Aren’t youga going to be late?” He asked, trying to change the subject.

“I don’t think so.” She stated simply before starting to walk off. Stitch followed behind, seeing that she wasn’t headed for the road, but the forest to the side of their house. “A little exercise is just the right way to start the morning off.”

Once they were out of sight, they instantly took off at a full run. Having walked the trails of the mountainsides and forests for years experiment hunting, the two started to know the paths like the back of their hands. Every curve, every rock, every branch was engraved into their minds. Once Lilo had been able to keep up with Stitch, they started to use the buggy less and less to get around. It was much faster to just cut through the trees rather than going around. The two smiled and laughed as they grabbed onto a tree branch, standing tall. Through the foliage, Lilo could see the top of her high school in the distance.

“Almost there, Stitch.” She told him. “See, I told you I wasn’t going to be late.”

“There is still a chance.” He said, jumping from the branch, making it rock back and forth. Lilo’s balance had also improved over the years, extending from her talent at hula dancing. She truly wished she had been able to do all these things back when they had to fight off Gantu and the experiments.

Lilo followed suit, quickly catching up to her little companion.

A couple hundred yards away, a large bald tourist wearing shorts and sunglasses sat on a rock. He was watching a colorful bird on the ground before him, kicking up the dirt with its talons. He took a lick of his mint chocolate chip ice-cream, feeling the sting of his sunburn. It was a completely peaceful moment, and he was happy to finally get to finish his favorite ice-cream. He heard some rustling and the sound of laughter coming from the distance. He froze, just about to take another lick. _No._ He thought. A moment passed and a blur shot past him. All he could see was a shine of blue and red. The small bird panicked and flew away, knocking the tourists hand as it flew passed. The ice-cream scoop fell to the ground with a plop. The man just stared at it, unable to believe that it had happened again.

“Hey!” Lilo called out to Stitch. “Wasn’t that the?”

“Ih.” Stitch replied.

“He lost his ice-cream again.”

“Meega sure he’ll get it one day.”

“He just has the worst of luck.” She said as they finally reached the edge of the trees. “See. Not late.”

The two walked casually to the front of the building, like they didn’t just run the length of a marathon in the span of ten minutes. Lilo gave Stitch a hug good-bye. Everyone still thought of him as an animal, so he wasn’t allowed in the building on regular occasions. There wouldn’t be any point in him enrolling either, seeing as he was already smarter than the education system.

“I’ll see you later?” She asked, wishing she didn’t have to go to school.

Stitch nodded. “Meega be here when youga done.” Stitch saw that no one was nearby, so he gave her a kiss before they finally had to part. “Besides.” He began. “Youga always know how to find meega.” He traced the blue ring on her finger with the tip of his claw.

“I know.” She said with a light smile. “I better get going.” Lilo turned and walked up the steps to the door. Just as she grabbed the handle, she heard the school bell ring, signaling the start of classes. “Don’t say a word!” She called out to Stitch, who had started to laugh.

Once the door closed behind Lilo, finally blocking his view of her, he turned around, seeing the beautiful island lay out before him. “What to do on such a beautiful day?” He asked himself. He got down on all fours, wondering what he should do to fill the hours before he would be returned to his love.


	23. Nothings Changed

Lilo stood outside her classroom, staring at the number on the door. The sixth classroom on the second floor in the sixth and final wing of the school. _626\. Heh. Fitting for me. And it’s science no less._ Getting up the courage, she slowly opened the door, trying her best not to make a single sound as she entered. The eyes of her classmates were on her as she slowly made her way to her desk. The teacher had her back turned, writing on the board. As soon as she reached her desk near the window, she heard the clang as the board marker was placed on the metal railing.

“Ms. Pelekai.” The stern, old voice announced. “You’re late. Again.”

Lilo slid into her chair as her teacher turned around, checking a book on her desk at the front of the classroom. “That’s the…third time this week.”

“I know, Mrs. Carnes. It won’t happen again, I promise.” Lilo pulled her text book out of her backpack before placing the bag next to her desk.

“Be sure that it doesn’t. Or else it will be to the principal to you.” Mrs. Carnes turned her back to the class, returning to the board again. “Not that that seems to do anything to you.” She muttered, bitterly.

No one knew why the Principal let Lilo by so many times without punishment. In truth, it was because she had helped him out with a few different experiment problems. The most notable was when experiment 326, Pannix was activated in his very own office. He had confiscated a bag of marbles from a student that was throwing them at others in the halls. He had accidentally activated the experiment when he knocked his coffee off of his desk. With a flash of light, a small, burgundy, rodent like animal had suddenly appeared. It immediately scurried off, and like a sudden plague, panic ensued. While Jumba had created most of the experiments to cause chaos and destruction, this little one was literally panic. It would create small squeaks that actually affected the brains of those who heard them, causing panic receptors to go off. It was the worst day the school had ever faced, far worse than any lockdown or drill they had gone through. Thankfully Lilo and Stitch, with the help of Yaarp, were able to catch it. Yaarp used his ability so the people in school could no longer hear Pannix squeaks. Afterwards, he was easy to catch, after they found him cowering in the boy’s locker room.

Despite being a panic inducer, he was actually quite scared of most things. Being so small it was understandable. After that, they found that his one true place was actually as a companion to the Principal, who had lost his own pet mouse at a young age. The school had actually faced a few experiment problems, but Lilo and Stitch solved them all. Because of this, Mr. Kame, the principal, let Lilo get away with things like being late from time to time.

All through class, Lilo had troubles paying attention. Her mind was elsewhere as she thought about the evening plans with Stitch. She found it hard to believe that they were a couple for four years already. She continued to stare out the window, watching the trees wave in the strong breeze. A sudden thud to the back of her head, broke her concentration. She turned to look around for the source, seeing a scrunched up piece of paper roll away on the ground.

She turned back, trying to pay attention to Mrs. Carnes lecture on the reproduction of cells, but kept at the ready for if something else came flying at her. Like she predicted, she felt the air shift as something came towards her. With lightning reflexes, she turned and grabbed another ball of paper, still not seeing who had thrown it. She turned back, paper in hand, to see the hawk like eyes of her teacher on her.

“Is there a problem, Mr. Pelekai?” She asked as she marched her way over to Lilo’s desk.

“No, Mrs. Carnes.”

“What is this in your hand?” Before Lilo could answer, she grabbed the ball of paper from her hand. Unfolding it revealed just the words ‘Dinosaur Carnes’ scribbled across. “Throwing notes around I see.” Mrs. Carnes slowly shifted towards the front of the room again, this time, addressing the entire class. “Could someone please tell me the rules about notes? Myrtle?”

Lilo’s childhood tormenter sat straight and proud at the very back of the classroom. She fixed her blue glasses back into place before answering. “Notes are to be taken, not given or passed around.”

“Very good.” She said with a smile that Lilo thought might accidentally crack her face. She turned her attention back to Lilo, face showing nothing but spite. “Since you seem to have trouble following this rule, I think twenty minutes of detention after class should do you some good.”

“But I wasn’t even-“She tried to argue, to no avail. Mrs. Carnes slammed her book shut, silencing the snickers of Lilo’s fellow classmates as well as herself. _Great. Just what I needed today._

The great mood Lilo was initially in was completely ruined. She didn’t understand why Mrs. Carnes always seemed to have it out for her. She thought it was funny, the girl with a family filled with genetic experiments, would be hated by the science teacher. Once she was out of the classroom, she felt instant relief wash over her.

“Thankfully that’s out of the way now.” She said to herself.

“Bad start to the day?” Asked Victoria, who seemed to pop out of nowhere.

Brushing off the initial surprise, Lilo was happy to have her friend there with her. “Yeah. As usual, I’m in trouble and Myrtle gets praised.”

The halls started to fill up with other students, making it hard to talk, so they decided to walk to their next class together.

“It can’t be that bad. You’ve dealt with worse.” Victoria reminded her.

The two were getting close to the resident bullies on campus. A group of four preppy girls that thought themselves better than anyone, with attitudes that even outweighed Myrtle’s. Only three of them were there today, but it didn’t stop them from their usual antics. Lilo wasn’t afraid of them. Whenever they saw them picking on anyone, she would interfere, putting a stop to it no matter what. Victoria on the other hand was terrified of them. She may be brave, but she wasn’t stupid, she knew messing with those girls would be a nightmare for the rest of the time she was in school. As they got closer, she held tighter onto her books, she saw them eye her as they walked passed. Lilo didn’t even look their way. The fact that Lilo was the only one not to show them any ‘respect’ annoyed them greatly.

“I suppose you’re right.” Lilo said as they turned the corner. “But I’d rather take on Hamsterveil before science class any day.”

“Well, hopefully tonight will help you feel better.” Victoria’s heart finally stopped racing. “You and Stitch have anything special planned?”

“Of course.” Lilo said with a giggle, feeling her heart flutter at the thought of Stitch. He instantly filled her mind, making her feel better instantly. “We’re going to be out really late tonight.”

“Oh. Ooh la la.” Victoria said mockingly. Lilo responded by pushing her lightly while rolling her eyes.

Meanwhile, Myrtle was also heading in the same direction as the two, with Teresa and Yuki in tow. The group of bullies saw Myrtle heading their way and shared a grin. With a nod, one of them stepped forward, stopping the girls from advancing.

“You’re… Myrtle? Right?” The girl who had stepped forward asked. Everyone knew who she was. Myrtle was a fan of their group, she always wanted to join them. The one who addressed them was Lea. She had long wavy black hair and piercing jade eyes. Second only to their leader, who wasn’t present.

“M-me?” Myrtle stuttered in response.

“Yes you. We want to talk to you.”

“Of course.” She turned to her friends, telling them to go on without her, excitement clearly filling her to the brim. Once the two ran off, she turned back to the group she idolized. “What can I do for you?” She asked, trying to sound professional.

“We heard what you did in that dinosaur Carnes class today. How you got that girl in trouble.”

“Weirdlo? Yeah, I did. How did you know I did that?”

“We have our sources.” The short girl leaning against the lockers finally spoke. Myrtle could barely see her face, it was blocked by her straight fiery hair.

“Anyway.” Lea continued. “Weirdlo, you called her? I like that. She’s been a pain to our group ever since she got here, you’re the only other one that seems to feel the way we do about her.”

“You do feel the same. Right?” Myrtle didn’t notice the third girl had made her way behind her.

“Y-yes, of course. She’s been ruining things for me since we were little.”

“Good.” Lea stated, coldly. “Then you want what we want. To see her utterly humiliated and ruined for good.”

Myrtle was astonished, she always thought that she was the only one who disliked Lilo so much. “You said she’s been a pain. What do you mean?”

“She’s and odd one, something is very off about her and we don’t know what it is. She’s always standing up for others. She thinks she’s so good, better than us. Able to go against us.” The other two girls stood behind Lea again. “Well. We’re the top dogs here, and we’re determined to expose whatever it is that’s odd about her and then take her down a peg or two.”

“That won’t be easy.” Myrtle blurted out. “I’ve been messing with her for years, nothing can ruin her spirit.”

“Well that’s just the thing.” Lea said with a tone that cooled even Myrtle’s blood. “Getting her in trouble, calling her names, as good as they are, is just small kids’ stuff. More needs to be done.”

“More how?”

“Sam is ready to let you join us. If, you do what we say and help us destroy Weirdlo Pelekai.”

Myrtle’s face twisted into an excited yet evil grin. Like she had always wanted, she was being offered a chance to be with a group that actually understood her. It was the chance of a lifetime for her. She took it in a heartbeat.

School continued like normal. Since science was over, Lilo’s terrible morning was at an end. However, she found it difficult to concentrate on studies, knowing that Stitch would be waiting for her at the end of the day. It wasn’t until gym class that she finally felt free and was able to let out some of her pent up energy. To most other’s amazement, she was quite good at sports, and despite her shorter appearance, she proved more than physically fit. Running, jumping, playing. It all let her feel free in the constraints of the brick building. Of course, no one but Victoria knew why Lilo was so adept to gym.

“It’s not really fair.” Victoria huffed, doubled over, trying to catch her breath.

“It’s not like I can help what happened when we were kids.” Lilo replied, standing strong, not even breaking a sweat. “And it’s hard to hold back you know.”

She watched the other girls continue the laps around the field. Their teacher, Coach Barley, always had them run laps at the beginning and end of class. The high sun always made it that much harder on them. Victoria punched Lilo in the arm at her comment.

“You could be done these laps by now, you don’t need to wait up for me.” The years of hula dancing helped Victoria along, but long periods of running always gave her trouble, especially in the allergy season.

“I’d rather run with you. Besides, we’re almost done. Just one more lap around. I know you can do it.” With Lilo’s encouragement, Victoria started running again. By the end of the laps, all but a few girls were either hunched over, or laying on the grass, completely spent.

“This is torture!” One of the girls on the ground declared.

“Oh come now. Stop being so dramatic, Tiffany.” The coach announced, clip board in hand. Her dark blue jumpsuit made the students hotter just by looking at her. “It builds strength, stamina, and character.” She looked out on the group before her. She saw that while most of the girls did seem a little over worked, Lilo was wistfully watching some birds play off in the distance. “It seems not everyone would agree with you.”

Feeling the gaze of the group on her, Lilo brought herself back to reality. “What?”

“You should all strive to be more like Lilo!”

“I-I wouldn’t say that. I’m not anything special.” She tried to get the attention drawn off of her, but she could see a few of the girls glare at her, like it was her fault that they had to run laps every day. The rest of the class, Lilo tried to make herself as little as possible. Not to stand out in any physical aspect, or get in anyone’s way. After the session had ended, Coach Barely had pulled Lilo to the side to ask her a favor.

“Are you sure I can’t convince you otherwise?” She asked, one last time.

“I’m sure.” Lilo told her again. “I really have no interest in any clubs or sports.”

“You’d be such a great addition though. I really believe that with you we could take this school places it’s never seen.”

 _Yeah. Like outer space._ “I’m sorry, Ms. Barley. I’m not going to join the team.”

Barley sighed in defeat, but she was determined not to give up. “Well, school clubs are going to be starting up soon. If you reconsider, please come let me know. You can find me in my room. I truly believe you would be a star.”

With a final word, Lilo quickly hurried off. She didn’t want to be late for lunch again. Unfortunately, staying behind those few short minutes made the lines for food longer than she had ever seen. With little choice, Lilo decided to go on without lunch, instead quickly finding Keoni and Victoria to sit with. The couple had actually anticipated her lateness, they had bought her some lunch, to which she thanked them dearly.

“I’m sorry I’m late guys. Thank you for the lunch.” She said, digging in immediately.

“It’s no problem, Lilo.” Keoni told her, brushing off her thanks. “Vicky here told me you were held back, so I grabbed some extra.”

“Thanks Victoria.” Lilo redirected her thanks to her longtime friend.

The rest of the school day went by without trouble. Neither Myrtle nor the group of other girls had crossed Lilo’s path. The last few subjects were survived and Lilo became more and more excited as time went on. It felt to Lilo like the clock had stopped. Every time she would look at it, it would appear to have not moved an inch. It was clear to everyone that she had had something planned, and the moment final bell rang, Lilo was off.

Dropping some things off in her locker, she weighed the options on whether to take her science homework or not. _There’s no hurry in it. I can just do it before class tomorrow._ She closed her locker and spun the lock wheel. Nothing could get between her and Stitch now. She truly believed it, until she felt a chill run down her spine.

“Going somewhere, Ms. Pelekai?” The gritty voice rang through the halls. Lilo slowly turned, ready for her fate. “I hope you were just on your way to my room for detention.”

“But-“

“But what?”

“I was wondering if I could serve detention tomorrow. I have important plans tonight you see.” Lilo tried to reason with her, hoping to play at Mrs. Carnes heartstrings.

“Something important?” Lilo saw a flash in her teacher’s eyes, like an old memory coming to the surface. “Well in that case.” She paused, considering the options of letting Lilo go. “No.”

Lilo’s world shattered around her, of course she could easily get away, but that wouldn’t do her any good in the long run. Reasoning wasn’t going to work with Mrs. Carnes. As far as she was concerned, Lilo was guilty, and that is all that mattered. Lilo dragged her feet towards her science classroom, wishing she had some way to let Stitch know. Instead, she thought about how he would be standing there, waiting for her, not sure of where she was or what she was doing. _Please don’t worry, Stitch. I won’t be long._


	24. Resolve for Truth

Lilo marched a few paces behind Mrs. Carnes. _I can’t believe this is happening._ The stares of the students and faculty burned a hole right through her. It felt like a long walk, the worst part was climbing the stairs to the next floor. Each step felt like it was taking her farther and farther away from Stitch. Down the hall, she could see Myrtle, Elena, Yuki, and Teresa walking towards her. When they crossed paths Lilo thought she could see a smirk from Myrtle out of the corner of her eye.

Lilo looked back at the group, seeing the three followers giving her a sympathetic look. _Myrtle didn’t…_ Thinking about it all for a moment it didn’t take long for her to realize what had happened. _She did. That little…ugh._ She held her anger back, slowing her pace down slightly as a result.

“Come now, Ms. Pelekai. Don’t dawdle.” Mrs. Carnes said with triumph.

Once they reached the classroom Lilo had to sit in her desk and watch the clock tick by for twenty minutes. She could see her teacher watch her. Daring her to try something. Anything at all. _Guess I’m not getting out of this._ Lilo let her head fall to her desk with an audible thud. The frustration of it all left her feeling no pain in her forehead. The light brown wood was a far better sight than the wrinkled face of her teacher.

Stitch stood by the entrance of the school, waiting patiently for Lilo. Slowly, the amount of students coming out of the building dwindled down to nothing. He sat in the shade of the overhang that jutted above the stairs, thinking she would only be a moment.

Too much time had passed and Stich was starting to get worried. Any amount of time for her to be late on their anniversary was too long. He sat there, his hand on his chin, wondering where Lilo was. His eye spotted the red and white ring on his finger, and he decided that he waited long enough. _Come on ring, lead me to her._

He felt the pull of their bond leading him towards his beloved. Climbing the wall of the school he jumped onto the roof, looking around to find the right direction. He felt a slight pull to his right and instantly followed it.

The ticking of the clock started to drown out Lilo’s own thoughts. Mrs. Carnes wasn’t even paying attention to her anymore. Instead she had her pointed nose in a book. _Does she really have nothing better to do?_ Tick. Tock. The sound reverberated through her, telling her she was wasting time she could be spending with Stitch. Once the ticking sound started to get more frequent she stared at the round device. For every movement of the second hand, she could hear at least three ticks. _Stitch!_ The extra ticks were the sound of Stitch’s claws as he ran on the building towards her. Mrs. Carnes was unable to hear him coming, but Lilo could. It was only a few more moments until she heard a light knocking on the window beside her.

Her eye’s quickly darted to her teacher, making sure she wasn’t looking. Seeing that the coast was clear, she looked back to Stitch.

“What are you doing, Stitch?” She whispered, hoping Mrs. Carnes wouldn’t hear her.

“Youga late. Meega wonder what happening.”

“I’m sorry.” She looked to the front of the room again. “I got in trouble. I’m stuck here for-“The sound of Mrs. Carnes book shuffling stopped her midsentence. She sat up straight and her eyes darted back to the side to see that Stitch had vanished.

“Is there a problem?” Her teacher’s voice continued to dig into her. None of the spite was held back when they were alone.

 _Why does she hate me so much?_ “It’s a little warm in here. Would I be able to stick my head out the window for a moment?”

“I suppose so.” Before Mrs. Carnes finished, Lilo was already at the window. As soon as she opened it she stuck her head down and looked around for Stitch. He was sticking to the wall right below her.

“Meega sorry. What happened?” He said, curious as to how Lilo could get in trouble.

“Myrtle did it. I got blamed.”

“Stupid head?” He spat. Stitch didn’t like how Myrtle continued to treat Lilo. Especially after what they did for her at the dance all those years ago.

“Yeah, but it won’t be much longer.”

“I think that’s long enough.” Mrs. Carnes announced from her desk. “Please close the window and return to your seat.”

“I’ll be out soon. I love you.” She closed the window, seeing Stitch mouth that he loved her too. The last few minutes of detention went by easier. She could feel that Stitch was still just outside the window, waiting for her. She never took her eyes off the clock, knowing that the exact moment the hand reached the four, she would be out of there.

“Alright.” Her teacher said as she put her book down. “I hope you learned your lesson young lady.”

“I did, Mrs. Carnes.” Lilo stood, keeping her back straight, trying to look like the wait was anything but an unnecessary bore. “I won’t be passing notes ever again.”

“Good. Do you need a hand out?”

“No.” Lilo said as she swung her backpack over her shoulders. “I’m running a little late now, I think I’ll just take the window.”

Before Mrs. Carnes could question her, Lilo was already half way out the window. Without hesitation she jumped, feeling Stitch follow right behind her. Her teacher stood there stunned, unable to believe what she had just witnessed. The moment Lilo felt her legs hit the ground, she quickly ran out of sight. She was tired of waiting and knew no one would believe Mrs. Carnes when she told them she had just jumped out of a two story window. When Mrs. Carnes did come to her senses, she ran to the window beside her and looked for what she was sure would be an injured body, however, she couldn’t see anyone around. It was like Lilo had just disappeared.

Once they reached the main streets, they slowed down to a walk. Saying hello to some of the locals tending their shops, Lilo began explaining to Stitch all that had happened that day.

“So that’s why I think stupid head Myrtle did it.” She told him, kicking a rock out of her path.

Stitch growled in response. “Meega can’t believe her.”

“I can. I wish she would just leave us alone!”

Stitch could hear the anger in her voice. Not wanting anything to ruin their special day, he quickly pulled her into a thin alley they were near.

“Wha-“Lilo’s surprise was stifled by Stitch dipping her close to the ground and pressing his lips against hers. Once the feeling settled she finally let herself relax into the kiss. Her eyes closed as the tingle spread throughout her body. Stitch could feel Lilo’s body relax into his grip. The pitter patter of feet just a few meters away from them added to their excitement. Shadows hid them from view, but at that point they wouldn’t notice if someone had come up behind them.

“Stitch…” She gasped his name as their lips continued their forbidden dance, daring to be caught.

“Yes?” He asked, biting her bottom lip ever so lightly, sending a shiver down her spine.

All sense of control left Lilo. She let herself fall back against the wall as she pulled Stitch against her, wrapping her arms around his warm furry back. Stitch could feel her passion fill him, her tongue took a slight lick at his lips. His lips parted, just enough to allow her in. He could feel her tongue wrestle for dominance as she ran her hands up and down his spine. Her familiar taste filled his mouth as he tried to take back the control of the kiss. Stitch ran his hand down her neck, following all along her arm as it left him till their hands finally met. Their fingers interlocked perfectly, Stitch could feel her warm ring as he brought her hand to his chest. His kiss slowly died down, getting one last taste of her before pressing her hand to his heart.

Gasping from a shortness of breath, Lilo rested her head against his shoulder, a single bead of sweat running down her cheek. _Funny. I run all day and nothing. But a few minutes of kissing and I already feel spent._

The two froze by the sound of a garbage can being knocked over. Unable to move from their position they traced the source of the sound. A small black cat walked out from behind the mess, meowing at them like it had been their fault.

“That was close.” Stitch said with a nervous chuckle.

“Yeah. Wanna do it again?” Stitch could see a twinkle in her eye. He knew from her look that she was completely up for another session, but they had a place to be.

“Tonight.” He said lovingly, feeling his heart beat hard in anticipation.

The two made their way home. Stitch ran Lilo’s bag up to their bedroom from the outside. Meanwhile, Lilo ran around to the back of the house to grab something they hadn’t used in a while. A few months before, Jumba noticed that their hovercraft had become too small for the two of them to use. Knowing they still got use out of it, he made a brand new larger vehicle for them. It was in the same design as the old red one Stitch had, but now it had a slightly more earth friendly design.

Opting for small wings that jutted our behind the door allowed them to glide through the air, using less power than his previous design. Sustaining power allowed them to travel longer distances without worry of powering down. To top it off, Jumba had included a few weapons and shielding to the craft. When they asked him why he said, “Just in case of something happening.” Since it was designed specifically for them as a couple, he had painted two white stripes down the middle instead of just one. “It even has drink holders!” Jumba announced proudly when he had shown it to them.

Unfortunately, they didn’t get as much time to use it as they had hoped. Nani didn’t make it any easier, wanting them to keep out of sight at the warning of Cobra Bubbles. He had stopped by to check up on them and congratulate Nani and David on their engagement. When he saw the inconspicuous space vehicle behind their house, he warned them again of the risk it could cause.

“I promise we’ll only use it in an emergency.” Lilo told him, crossing her fingers behind her back.

The two decided together that their anniversary was the perfect time to take it out for a spin. Lilo felt bad that she wasn’t helping Nani prepare for the wedding, but one night off wouldn’t hurt, and they did have permission.

Lilo pressed the button and felt the hovercraft lift her into the air. The familiar whir of the antigravity engine purred like a dream. She called out to Stitch, not realizing Nani might catch them using the hovercraft. Thankfully he hurried along to her, and she didn’t see or hear a word from her sister. _Maybe I lucked out and she’s at work._

Once Stitch and she were strapped in, she lifted them off. While running and jumping through the mountains and forests felt close to flying, nothing beat the real thing.

“It’s nice to be back up here.” She said as some birds surrounded their flying craft. The wind blew her long raven hair behind them, blowing all her troubles away with it.

Stitch sat back and closed his eyes. The wind ruffled his fur, and he knew he’d need to put it back in place once they landed, but for now he didn’t care. Instead, he enjoyed the ride, grabbing Lilo’s hand tightly in his as she flew them to their destination.

It wasn’t a long trip. Just enough to enjoy the flight. Lilo set them down on a beach near a cliff on Ni’ihau. The two had only ever been on the forbidden island once before, while trying to catch an experiment. Lilo was certain that they hadn’t been seen, and the surrounding cliffs would make them hard to spot should any of the locals come by. It was really the perfect secluded spot for the two to enjoy some time alone together.

Stitch laid a blanket across the warm white sand. The sound of the water hitting against the rocks was surprisingly soothing. The surrounding cliffs trapped in the air, Lilo could almost taste the salt of the ocean on the breeze. Once Stitch had set a rock on one corner of the blanket so it wouldn’t blow away, Lilo placed down their picnic basket. Like the evening so many years ago, they would spend their anniversary with a homemade meal, and watch the sunset on the beach if time allowed.

“So what did you do today while I was stuck in school?” Lilo asked, handing Stitch a sandwich he had made earlier that day.

“Meega went for a walk.” He said, downing the entire sandwich in one bite. Lilo handed him another one with a giggle.

“Did anything happen on this walk?”

“Yeah. Meega actually ran into Angel and Reuben.” The two ate in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the compliment of their food with the salty wind. Reuben had given Stitch some pointers on making sandwiches, and it turned out to be worth it. Normally, Stitch wouldn’t take any help from anyone, but when it came to doing something for Lilo he would do anything.

“So what are they up to?” Lilo finally asked, her curious nature getting the best of her. “We haven’t seen them for a while now.”

“Weega haven’t. It was funny. They seemed really happy about something. But they wouldn’t tell meega. They said they wanted to tell us together.”

“Huh.” Lilo finished off her sandwich. Stitch had made a lot, but it was mostly for him. He still ate like a garbage disposal. “I wonder what it could be.”

“Don’t know. Should we go visit them this weekend?”

“Yeah. I don’t think we have anything planned…” Lilo thought about the promises she made. Nothing jumped out at her for things she needed to do on the weekend, but she felt like she was forgetting something. “Yeah. Let’s go visit. Maybe we can all do something as a double date!”

Once the meal was done and packed away, the two propped themselves against each other on the blanket. Staring out at the ocean while the sun slowly set was always a joy to them. Anything peaceful they could find in their chaotic lives was a treasure to them. Nani was going crazy over the wedding. Every night Lilo would help her plan it just a little more. _I guess that’s one of the perks of being maid of honor._

Lilo let herself fall into Stitch, his fur warming her from the cool breeze. The atmosphere reminded her greatly of the evening four years ago. She felt herself taken back to the beach that day. Stitch mustering up the courage to confess his feelings, the warm sand beneath her, and how time just seemed to stand still. “I can’t believe it’s been four years.”

“What do youga mean?” Stitch asked as he rested his head atop Lilo’s.

“We’ve been happily together for four years. It just feels like the time flew by.”

“Youga right.” Stitch kissed the top of her head, bringing a warm smile to Lilo’s face. “Meega can’t believe we’ve kept it hidden so long.”

“Yeah…” Lilo trailed off. _Four years of keeping a secret. Nani trusts me enough to make me her maid of honor and I’ve been here keeping this hidden from her._ “Lying for four years.”

“It’s not really a lie.” Stitch defended, knowing how she felt about the subject.

“No. But it’s also not the truth.” Lilo sat up from him, bringing her knees to her chest. “I’ve been thinking…”

“What is it?” Stitch rubbed her back for support, brining memories of earlier to her mind. She pushed the urge to pounce him, bringing up the thing she’s wanted to discuss with Stitch for a while now.

“Do you think we’ve been stupid? Not telling I mean. All our friends have accepted it as it is.” Stitch stayed quiet, unsure of what to say. “I know Nani wouldn’t be as understanding, but could anything bad really happen?”

“Meega doubt it. If youga sure you want to tell her, weega can.” She brought her eyes to meet his, seeing he was completely sure of himself. His unwavering black pools reflected her own confidence.

“We’ll tell her after the wedding then. She has a lot to deal with right now.”

“Okay.” Stitch wrapped his hand around the back of her head and pulled her into a kiss. Having decided to reveal their secret in a few short months, they already felt better about the situation. Now that the guilty topics had passed, they lost themselves in each other. Falling softly into the blanket, the two enjoyed the anniversary of their shared love. Smiles, laughter, and love filled the hidden beach until the sun had finally set and the two flew home.


	25. A Check Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lilo and Stitch deal with the consequences of Nani discovering their relationship. Or do they?

On Turian Prison Asteroid number seventeen, Dr. Jacques Von Hamsterveil paced around his cell as he did every day since his capture. An alien dinosaur like guard passed by the cell, making his rounds to check on the prisoners.

“Report. Gerbilveil check.” The guard said into a communication device on his shoulder before moving onto the next cell.

“I am not gerbil like, I am hamster like!” The small rodent alien yelled out.

Completely ignoring the small criminal, the guard continued on. “Report. Leroy clone number 001 check.”

“Ugh. Why must I stay here with these insufferable imbesciles?” Just when he thought it couldn’t get any worse, the prison sound system started to roar to life. As they did every night, some of the Leroy clones hacked into the sound system to play Jailhouse Rock.

Making his way to one of the cell walls, Hamsterveil starting banging his head, trying to keep the song out. “Must you be playing with this song every night?!”

“Hehehe.” A low laugh emanated from the other side of the wall. “Weega enjoy it.”

While the clones had already began jumping around and dancing, the original Leroy leaned his back up against the wall of his cell. While he didn’t particularly like the song, he did like the torment it caused his creator.

“Leroy!” Hamsterveil said in his high pitched shriek. “It has been over five years! Why are you not making with the breaking of us out yet?!”

“There isa naga reason to break out without plan.” The evil red experiment spat. “How isa that plan coming?”

“You little-“Before continuing the sentence he coughed, not wanting to upset his creation. “I will tell you when you are needing to know!”

Hamsterveil turned away from the wall to return to his pacing. The song hadn’t yet finished but it soon would. Either from it just ending or the guards shutting it down. He hoped it was the latter. Continually pacing around the room, he tried to come up with a new plan to finish off Lilo and Stitch once and for all. Then galactic domination would finally be in his grasp. The problem was that he had been utterly defeated last time. Not even an evil army of Leroys was able to finish them off.

The song finally stopped with a scratch, a female voice came over the intercoms instead, much to his appreciation. “For the continued disruption of the peace, and the continued destruction of prison technology, lights out will now be an hour earlier each day. Good night!”

The lights cut out. Leaving the entire cell division in complete darkness. The original Leroy returned to his bed, staring at the empty ceiling. As he did every single day, he thought about the cause of his imprisonment. _Stitch. I will get my revenge. And it will be so sweet. Just you wait._ With an evil grin, he closed his eyes, the sounds of the murmuring clones all around him filled the cell block with a satisfying buzz.

 

Back on Earth, Lilo and Stitch were using the cloud of darkness to secretly return themselves and the hovercraft home. Lilo gently flew the vehicle back to its original resting spot, making it look like it never left. As long as no one went around back while they were gone, no one would know.

“There. Safe and sound.” Lilo said as she took off her seatbelt.

“Like weega never even took it.” Stitch commented. “It’s too bad our night had to end so soon.”

“What do you mean?” Lilo turned in her seat to face him better. “The night’s not over yet.” With a grin she leaned over to Stitch a pulled him into another kiss. The two almost fell over but Stitch kept them propped up with one of his arms. It was so dark that Lilo could barely see him, but it didn’t matter, she was able to feel him. Lilo felt more love for the blue experiment every day, nothing in life was better than getting to show him how she felt.

The sweet moment was short lived, however. They froze at the sound of a twig snapping under someone’s weight nearby. “Lilo? Stitch?” A voice called out from the stairs to the house.

“Nani!” Lilo whispered, pulling herself away from Stitch and turning to see her sister.

“Lilo!” Surprise and anger filled her older sister’s voice

“I’m sorry, Nani. I can explain everything,” Lilo began to plead. She couldn’t believe after so long they were finally caught. Right after they decided to tell her too.

“Oh really? Don’t try to make excuses, Lilo. And Stitch, I’m surprised at you!” Stitch looked away, even in the darkness he could see the anger drawn on her face. She looked utterly betrayed.

“Don’t be mad, we just-“Lilo was immediately cut off by her sister.

“You just thought I wouldn’t notice?” Nani strongly put her hand on the hovercraft. Lilo flinched at the sound of the thud it had made.

“I know we should have told you, but we thought you’d say no to it.”

“You’re right I would have said no.” Lilo’s face fell. She had thought all along that Nani wouldn’t be supportive, but to actually hear it was soul crushing. Stitch grabbed her hand supportively, completely unnoticed by the furious Nani above. “Honestly, Lilo. You know you’re not allowed to take the hovercraft without permission.”

 _Wait, what?_ Lilo’s head snapped straight up in confusion. _She’s not mad about Stitch and me? No. Did she just not see?_ Her eyes quickly darted to Stitch who shared her look of confusion. “So you didn’t see…?”

“I didn’t see a hovercraft when I got home this evening. Since everyone else is in the house, it wasn’t hard to figure out you two must have taken it without my approval again. I heard you two come back and instantly came out. Why? What should I have seen?”

“Nothing!” Lilo quickly replied, letting go of Stitch’s hand before she became more suspicious. “I just thought you might have seen us flying or something.”

“It’s way too dark right now for that.” Nani crossed her arms, trying to think of a punishment. “Now get inside you two. It seems we can’t just have this thing out anymore.” Lilo and Stitch quickly hoped out of the vehicle and ran straight to the stairs. “Oh! And you can consider yourselves grounded till Friday!”

“But-“

“No ‘buts.’ I’m being nice because of what day it is. You two are lucky I don’t call Cobra.”

Lilo was about to complain about being grounded again, but Stitch held her back. Instead he called out to Nani. “Weega sorry. Weega never do it again.” Stitch then pulled Lilo up the stairs before they got in more trouble.

 _Now what to do with this thing?_ Nani thought, staring at the large hovercraft. It was much too big to hide in her car like the last one. She would need an even better hiding spot so they wouldn’t go finding it any time soon.

 

The next day Lilo rushed to school early. Instantly regretting leaving it behind, she tried to do her science homework as quickly as possible. Thankfully, science was one of her best subjects. Having an evil genius like Jumba in the house, Lilo had learned a lot of things over the years. After being in the machine, Lilo took an interest in science and how the things Jumba made worked. Of course, she learned mostly about alien technology, but the same principals applied to Earth. Unfortunately, she ran late again and didn’t finish the last part of the homework. With nothing else she could do, she handed her homework in as is. _It’s not like doing perfect is going to get Mrs. Carnes to like me anyway._

While Lilo was at school, Stitch was going to go set up plans with Angel and Reuben. The two discussed what plans they had made and couldn’t think of anything important happening on Saturday. Stitch was surprised to find their house empty. Looking through the window he couldn’t see a trace of the two. _That’s not like them._ Not wanting to break his promise with Lilo, Stitch went to the town in search of his cousins.

Back at school, Lilo was asked to stay back a few minutes after class.

“Wait.” Lilo was utterly shocked. “You want me to join the science club?”

“I don’t want you to no. However, Mr. Kame has requested that I ask you to join.” Mrs. Carnes looked like she was about to blow. In no way did she agree with the Principal request, but she was forced to.

 _Why does everyone want me to join a club?_ “Why would he ask you to do that?”

“I suppose…” She began as she wiped down the board in preparation of her next class. “He feels like you would excel in it. I’m not going to lie, Ms. Pelekai. I am completely against it. I do not think you would benefit us in anyway.”

“Am I not doing that well in science?”

Mrs. Carnes put the brush down and after a slight hesitation finally spoke. “You’re doing overly well in my class.” It pained her to say, but she had to admit that Lilo was excellent at science. “I just don’t think you’re a good student. You are constantly late, hand in half completed assignments, and when you are here you hardly pay attention.” _How you manage this and still score well I will never understand. I actually hate it!_

“Well then you’ll be happy to know that I’m not interested in joining any clubs.”

“Really?” Mrs. Carnes couldn’t hold back the actual happiness in her voice. “I mean. Alright. I shall inform Mr. Kame of your choice.”

Lilo quickly left the classroom, eager to get to the next class. She was really confused as to why she kept getting asked to join clubs and hoped it would stop soon. It wasn’t that she was against it, she just really wasn’t interested in any that she had seen or heard of. She was in such a hurry, she wasn’t being careful as she ran around a corner.

With a loud thud, Lilo ran right into someone, knocking them into the wall. “Sorry!” She shouted as she continued running down the hall, not wanting be late. The girl who was just shoved, brushed off her jacket and fixed her skirt and hair. “Ugh. Lilo.” She spat. “You will be sorry.”

Feeling a sudden chill run down her back and hearing someone say her name, Lilo looked back down the hall. However, there was no one to be seen anywhere. _That’s weird. I thought I heard…_ Her trail of thought was broken by the sound of the bell. “Not again!” She ran to her class, hoping that Mrs. Carnes holding her back would be a good enough excuse to not get in trouble again.

 

Stitch sat on top of a café in town. Watching the people enjoying their coffee and sandwiches below, he wondered where Angel and Reuben had gone. _I really thought that they would be here._ Stitch had checked every shop and place he could think of. He ran from rooftop to rooftop hoping he would spot them. Normally their pink and yellow fur would stand out from the crowds.

Unable to think of any other place to go, Stitch decided to head back home. He would check their house one more time before Lilo got out of school. Walking up the steps to the house his ear twitched the sound of laughter coming from the trail to Jumba’s ship. “Reuben? Angel?”

“See?” Reuben said as he put his arm around Angel. “I told you everything was fine.”

“Youga right.” She smiled at him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Meega just worry.”

“I know. I’m sorry, I’m just so excited.”

“Me too.” Reuben placed a gentle hand on her cheek and stared lovingly into her eyes. “I love you, Angel.”

She touched his warm hand with hers, loving the feelings it sent through her body. Without meaning to, or rather, like a force of nature they both became drawn together. Reuben wrapped his hand around her back and head, pulling her into a deep kiss. Their lips danced together under the warm sun, heating them up even more. After a few more moments, Reuben dipped Angel to the ground. The sudden rush clouded her mind.

“Careful.” She whispered.

“Sorry.” He replied with his sheepish grin. “I just got carried away.” They were about to continue their moment together, when Stich suddenly burst through the bushes.

“Reuben! Angel!” He exclaimed, arms out. “Meega been looking for youga.”

The two quickly recomposed themselves. They hoped that Stitch didn’t hear what they had been talking about. They wanted to keep it a surprise until they could announce it for both him and Lilo to hear.

“What are youga doing at Jumba’s ship?”

“We were just, uh.” Angel was still shocked. She wasn’t expecting someone to just burst into their moment like that. Stitch, however, was always good at dropping in unexpectedly.

“We had a checkup with Jumba.” Reuben said honestly. Angel tightened her grip on his hand, hoping he wasn’t just going to outright tell Stitch what was going on.

“A checkup?” Stitch suddenly became worried. Neither he nor any of the experiments have ever needed a checkup before. “Are youga okay?”

“We’re fine, cuz.” Reuben said leaving Angel’s side. He put his arm around Stitch’s shoulder and began to lead him down the path. “Jumba just wanted to make sure everything was fine with us. Since we were the first ones to use the machine after he tampered with it to work with Lilo.” He could still see the concern on Stitch’s face. “Don’t worry, everything turned out ‘a’ okay.”

“If youga say so.”

“I do. Hey, shouldn’t Lilo be home from school soon? You should be there for her.”

“Youga right.” Stitch said, about to take off. Reuben started to return to Angel when Stitch suddenly remembered why he was looking for them in the first place. He quickly asked if they were free to talk about what they mentioned the day before that weekend. Discussing it for a few minutes, they decided to meet up at Angel and Reuben’s house on the upcoming Saturday afternoon. Once everything was arranged, Stitch then ran home, eager to tell Lilo he kept his promise.

“That was a close one.” Reuben said as he wiped his forehead. “I don’t think he suspects anything though.”

“Good. You handled that really well.” Angel said with a sly grin.

“What can I say?” Reuben was blushing, Angel’s smiles always got his blood pumping. “I guess I got good at lying while working for Hamsterwheel.”

Angel pouted playfully, putting her hand on his chest. “I hope you don’t use that lying ability on me.”

“Never.” Reuben pulled her into another kiss, feeling Angel’s lips turn from a pout into a grin under his touch. They stayed there for several minutes. They were in no hurry to return home.

Thankfully, school had gone better this day than the day before. Lilo was relieved that aside from the classes they shared, she didn’t once run into Myrtle. After figuring out that it was her fault that she got into trouble, Lilo was expecting some sort of bragging to follow soon. Instead it was a completely quiet day. Victoria and Keoni met Lilo at her locker and the three decided to head out together.

“I guess the clubs are starting to advertise.” Keoni said as he pointed out the tall student handing a poster on the bulletin board.

“Don’t remind me.” Lilo replied exasperated.

“What’s got you tired of things already?” Victoria was surprised, Lilo wasn’t one to cut anything out without trying it at least once.

“Both Coach and Mrs. Carnes asked me to join their clubs.”

“Really?” Victoria asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I can understand Coach wanting you in track.” Keoni stated. “But isn’t Mrs. Carnes the one that hates you?”

“Yeah.” Lilo said with a nod. “It was at the request of Mr. Kame.”

“Woah. The principal?” Keoni was stunned, no one had ever heard of the principal getting involved with student clubs. Lilo just silently nodded in reply.

“So are you joining either of them?” Victoria asked as they passed the board. She tried to take a look at the posters, but they had gone by too fast to really take any of them in.

“No. I’m just really not interested.”

While the three continued talking about clubs, Myrtle watched them from down the hall. She was eager to rub it in Lilo’s face that she was the one to get her detention. However, she kept missing her chances. Now, she was ready, and nothing was going to stop her. She took a step forward when she felt a hand on her shoulder hold her back.

“Hey! What are you-“She said as she turned around. She quickly shut up once she saw who it was. “Oh. Hey, Lea.”

“Hi.” She said in her usual uncaring tone. “So. Are you ready to meet Sam?”

“O-of course.” Myrtle looked back, seeing that Lilo, Victoria, and Keoni were already out of sight. “Wouldn’t miss this chance for the world.”

“Good. This way.” With a hair flip, Lea lead Myrtle off through the rushing students. It was hard for Myrtle to keep her excitement. The only time anyone got to meet Sam was when the group was tormenting people. She, however, was getting to meet her to become part of the group. Bragging to Lilo was long from her mind. Now, she had something even better to do. Her dreams were quickly coming true.

They passed Elena, Yuki, and Teresa along the way. The trio just watched as Myrtle didn’t even bat an eye at them. They shared a concerned look, and quickly discussed if they should do anything. Seeing their leader not even acknowledge them quickly made their minds up for them.

“You ready?” Lea asked, knowing that Myrtle would have to be either way. Even though she was asked to join, Sam could change her mind at the drop of a dime.

“Born ready.” She replied, confidence and arrogance filling her more now than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! If you would like to help this story or any of my other stories continue on regularly support them on my patreon.


	26. Spy Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lilo and Stitch sneak out to try and find out what Jumba is keeping secret.

Lea opened the door that led outside. It was a part of the building Myrtle didn’t see a lot of. The second bike rack lot was claimed as the hang out area of Sam’s gang. None of the student’s dared to go anywhere near it anymore. There were short brick walls on either side, closing the area in, with the bike rack being up against the left wall. The grass looked barely touched, only walked on by a few people, but was littered with garbage here and there. Over the right wall, Myrtle could see the school’s field, eerily empty. The rocky pavement leading from the door to the sidewalk, like a red carpet at a movie premier. She thought it was odd that the sidewalk also had no one walking home on it, school had just let out moments ago and everyone should be rushing home.

After her short scan of the area, her eyes finally caught the three girls leaning up against the bike rack. Once Lea and Myrtle stepped forward, the murmurings of the three came to a close. The girl with fiery red hair pointed out the two approaching. After readjusting her jacket, the girl Myrtle knew as their leader, Sam, walked towards her.

The girl’s jean jacket and designer top and skirt were high end clothes that Myrtle always wanted to have. However, she never had the money to afford it. Instead, the best she could do was knock offs. Her current t-shirt and ripped jeans looked like garbage in comparison.

When Sam walked, she walked with confidence. There was nothing in her path that could get in her way. Except Lilo. Her long dirty blonde hair flowed freely behind her as she moved, like a veil blowing in the wind.

“Hey, Myrtle.” Sam said like they had been friends forever. Her cheery demeanor was a huge contrast to the attitude the other girls showed. “I’m, Sam.”

“I-I know.” Myrtle had trouble hiding her excitement, finally the moment she’d waited forever for had come. “I’ve idolized you for, like, ever.”

“Idolized huh?” Sam looked back at the others with a smile. _This is going to be easy._ “I like the sound of that. So then, as you probably know, that’s Lea. Our short firecracker is Abby, and the tan beauty leaning against the wall behind the two of them is Jen.” The three girls nodded as their names had been said. “I expect that Lea explained why we want you in our group.”

“Yeah. I want what you want. To ruin Lilo.” Myrtle said with an evil grin, but the confidence she had quickly left her. _Is it always going to be because of Lilo?_ “I just don’t know why you’re asking me to join you. Couldn’t you do it on your own?”

“Yeah.” Sam said simply, returning back to her group. “But.” She turned on her heel once she made it to the rack. “Every now and then we give someone the _opportunity_ to join us. Since you hate that girl as much as us, we’ve decided to give you a chance.”

“What happened to the others?”

“They weren’t quite up to snuff.” Jen stated as the other girls laughed.

“But I’m sure you can handle it. I get a good feeling from you.” Sam ran forward and grabbed Myrtles hands. “Now come on.” She started to pull Myrtle along before running ahead on her own.

“W-where are we going?” Myrtle said as she regained her balance.

Abby walked by her, eager to catch up with Sam. “If you’re gonna hang with us.”

Lea quickly came up her other side. “You’re gonna need to look the part.”

“Look the part?” Myrtle saw the girls get into a black car, Jen was the one opening the driver’s door.

“Get in!” Sam said, sticking her head out the passenger window. “We’re going shopping!”

Without hesitation, Myrtle instantly ran to the car to let herself in. She had just met Sam, and she could already tell that they were going to be great friends.

 

Since Lilo and Stitch were grounded for the next two days, they had nothing to do but sit at home. Immediately when Lilo got home, Stitch told her he wanted to talk to her. Lilo started putting her thing from school away as Stitch explained meeting up with Angel and Reuben outside of Jumba’s ship.

“That’s odd.” Lilo said with her brow furrowed as she threw her backpack against the wall. “We’ve never done check-ups on any of the experiments before. Did you talk to Jumba about it?”

“Yeah. He said it was nothing.” Stitch was looking out the window, towards Jumba’s ship. He felt like something was being hidden from them. Something big. Before he was excited about what Angel and Reuben had to say, now he was downright curious. “Jumba bad liar.”

Lilo laughed at Stitch’s comment. “He always has been.” She looked at the ship too, then grabbed Stitch and flung him onto their bed. She jumped in after him and they wrestled around for a few long moments. Finally settling into each other, Lilo continued. “What are we going to do about it?”

“Meega guess we can only wait until we see them Saturday.” Stitch said, rubbing his hand along Lilo’s side.

“Or.” She said with a mischievous smile. “We sneak out and take a peek at Jumba’s records to find out for ourselves.”

Stitch gasped at her suggestion. “Lilo. Weega could get into more trouble if we’re caught.”

“Then we just have to make sure we don’t get caught.” Lilo sat up, full of excitement. “Don’t you want to know what’s going on?”

Stitch followed her up, crossing his legs to sit better on the soft bed. “Weega find out Saturday.” Stitch was always more than eager to sneak out, but they had just gotten in trouble with the hovercraft. If they were caught, the punishment would be far greater than being grounded for a few days. However, the old itch to break rules suddenly scratched in the back of his mind.

“We don’t even know if the two things are related.” Lilo was getting more and more excited at the idea. They hadn’t done anything like this in a long time. She suddenly jumped up and ran to the board on the other side of the room. It was completely covered in the photo’s she had taken over the years. She had never stopped taking pictures of tourists, and she wasn’t planning on ever stopping. The photos weren’t what she was looking for though. Lilo flipped the board around, revealing a clear white board, ready to make up a plan.

 

Myrtle stood, staring at herself in the mirror. She was completely amazed at how she looked. The tight designer blue jeans, yellow loose shirt, and thick yellow belt was a style she didn’t know she could pull off. Her glasses didn’t even look out of place anymore.

“Wow, Myrtle.” Sam said, sitting on a bench with the other three girls. “It’s like a whole new you.”

“Yeah.” She used the mirror to look at herself from every angle. “A whole new me.” She continued to look at herself and Sam could see the joy in Myrtle’s eye.

“So?” Sam said as she got up. “Are you going to get it?”

“I’d love to, but…” Myrtle looked at the clothes one last time. “It’s way too expensive. There’s no way I can afford this.”

“Really? It would be a shame to let such a nice look go.”

“Yeah. But we’ve already bought so much.” Myrtle gestures towards the bags on the floor by the mirror.

“This is the best one, though.” Lea said from the bench.

“You can’t let this one get away.” Abby added.

“Totally.” Jen spoke for the first time since they arrived at the mall.

Myrtle looked at herself in the mirror again. “This does look really good.”

Sam simply smiled. “Are you sure there’s no way for you to get this? Imagine. Walking into school with us like you own the place in this.”

“That would be amazing.” The rush was starting to get to Myrtle. She could feel her blood pumping as she imagined looking large and in charge again. Something she didn’t feel for a long time. “I suppose I could use my credit card. I’m only supposed to use it in an emergency though.”

“Well.” Sam put her arm around Myrtle’s shoulder, grasping on tight. “I would say _this_ counts as an emergency.”

Hesitantly, Myrtle pulled her wallet out of her bag. Inside was her mom’s credit card. The one she promised she’d never use unless she had to. She had second thoughts about using it for the clothing. Then she saw herself in the mirror again. Standing beside her idol, being where she had wanted to for so long. “I’ll take it.”

 

Lilo looked over the plan on the board. Darkness had already fallen and they kept their room lit with a single desk lamp. Stitch had scribbled Jumba’s ship as well as the way to the computer they would need upon the board. Their path was set, all they needed to do was to get out of the house without being seen or heard.

Lilo stepped forward, into the light. She was wearing her dark sweat shirt and sweat pants. Her long dark hair was tied back and covered by her black toque. She memorized the path they needed to take through the ship as she slipped on her black gloves. “You ready, Stitch?”

“Ready.” Stitch was wearing similar apparel to Lilo. The only different was that he kept his hands and feet uncovered in order to climb the walls.

“Good. Time to start operation: info grab.” Stitch tilted his head. “What? I know it’s not the best name, but I couldn’t come up with anything better.”

“Okay. Okay.”

Stitch climbed down the elevator shaft, being careful not to make a sound. Keeping to the roof, he looked into the living room. Nani was still awake, watching TV. He looked down the hall and saw that Jumba and Pleakley’s door was closed. He looked the best he could but couldn’t find David anywhere. Figuring it wasn’t something to worry about, Stitch opened the kitchen window and climbed up to the dome room window.

“Coast clear, Mutant Dog?” Lilo asked as she crawled out of the window. They had decided to keep code names for their secret operation. Stitch still didn’t understand why they used them, but he loved the fun that Lilo got out of it.

“Couldn’t find, Surfer. He must be out still.”

“As long as we’re quick, we should be done before he gets back. How’s Big Sister?”

“Watching TV, just like youga said. Noodle and Genius are asleep already as well.”

“Then we are good to go.” Lilo climbed from the dome onto the roof, careful not break anything or step too hard. Keeping her balance, she slid down to the back side of the house before she jumped to the ground.

Stitch silently followed her. Knowing they were safe for now, the two headed through the trees. The path wouldn’t be safe to take. Jumba had questionable sleeping habits, at any moment he could start heading up to his ship and find them. Instead they took the back route, keeping in the forest until the back of the big red ship was in sight.

Jumba’s ship had a couple of entrances, but he didn’t know that Stitch knew about the secret one by the tail fin. Stitch scaled the side of the ship until he found a loose panel. Carefully removing it he snuck inside and Lilo finally lost him from view. She knew it wouldn’t take long for him to double back to the door she was waiting at. That’s why she became worried when she sat there for ten minutes without a sign from Stitch.

“Mutant Dog. Come in.” She said into her walkie-talkie. “Mutant Dog. This is Black Raven. Do you copy?”

Inside the ship, Stitch was trying to stifle the sound of the communication device as Jumba walked right underneath him. Stitch clung to the ceiling as best as he could while holding the speaker against his shirt. Jumba stopped, thinking he had heard something. He looked above him, but saw nothing and headed back towards the lab.

“Phew.” Stitch let out a sigh of relief from the room vent right beside where he was hanging only a moment ago.

“Mutant Dog. Where are you?” Said Lilo’s voice from the walkie-talkie.

“Mutant Dog here.” He said. Lilo let out a sigh of relief, she was worried something might have happened in the unpredictable walls of the ship. “Weega have a problem.”

“What is it?”

“Genius is still here.” There was silence on the other end. Stitch waited a moment but didn’t hear a reply. “What do youga want to do, Black Raven?”

“We have to continue. We’ve come this far.”

Lilo waited only a few more moments. Suddenly the door swung open with Stitch on the other side. “Then weega better hurry.” He said to her, helping her up into the ship.

The two ran through the winding halls, being sure to keep away from the lab. Since Jumba was still inside, they wouldn’t be able to access the backup computer in the lab. Instead, they were going to need to hack into the main computer system.

“Do you know how to get there?” Lilo asked as they headed up a utility ladder.

“Of course.” Stitch said as he looked back and forth down the hall way they just climbed to. “This way.”

Stitch ran down the hall, stopping suddenly at a small panel in the wall. The words, “Do Not Open,” were written in red on the metal plating. Stitch used a single claw to pick at the lock until he heard a click. Once the panel was open, a small note gently floated to their feet. Lilo picked it up and stifled a giggle.

“What is it?” Stitch asked as he already began to hack into the computer.

“It says, ‘That means you too, Pleakley.” Lilo said making him laugh too.

It didn’t take long for Stitch to gain access to all the files in Jumba’s ship. Scanning through the roster of experiments, he finally found the numbers “624” and “625.”

“Found them.”

“Good.” Lilo tapped the note back to the inside of the panel. “What does it say about them?”

“Nothing new.” Stitch scanned all the files pertaining to them both and individually. “Their powers. The files of them being put into the machine. Nothing about a check-up.”

“So they were lying?”

“Wait.” Stitch came across one file. It had been entered that day. “Meega found something from today.”

“What is it?”

Stitches hands were a blur on the keyboard. The moment he tried to enter the file he was shut out. A few more attempts and still nothing new had happened. “Meega can’t get in.” He tried to gain access to the block, but the moment he tried to get around it, “Nala Kweesta” appeared on the screen. Stitch’s entire access was blocked and he was shut out permanently for the night.

“No good?” Lilo asked, slightly hopeful that Stitch had one more idea.

“No. Meega got nothing.”

Slightly disappointed that they didn’t get what they were looking for, the two quietly made it back to the house. Stitch looked through the window and saw that Nani was still lying on the couch. However, he could see that she was starting to nod off. They were going to need to hurry before she called up to wish them a good night.

Lilo grabbed onto Stitch as he started to climb up the side of the wall. Their movements stopped once they heard the metal ting of the garbage can below them.

“Hey guys.” David said as he dropped the black bag into the metal can. “Little late for climbing. Don’t ya think?” The two just laughed nervously as they hung there.

“David!” Lilo exclaimed like nothing was going on. “When did you get back?”

“Just now. I saw that the garbage needed to go out.” He said, wiping his hands on his shorts. “Wasn’t expecting to see two spies though. Does Nani know you’re out?”

“No. Do you think you could keep this a secret?”

“Aren’t you two supposed to be grounded?” He looked at them suspended fifteen feet from the ground. “You look anything but grounded right now.”

“Weega just had some…information to get.” Stitch said, not looking at the surfer below them.

“Uh-huh. You know I have to tell Nani.”

“Please don’t.” Lilo pleaded. “Just this one time? We just really needed to get out and stretch.”

David thought about it for a few moments. Lilo really thought he was going to turn her in, until he started laughing. “Alright. But get in quickly. Don’t want Nani to catch you.”

The two quickly made their way back up the house, jumping into their room just in time to tell Nani goodnight. With “operation: info get” a complete failure, Lilo started to erase their plans from the board while Stitch put away their spy clothes.

“That was a bust.” She said as she flopped onto the bed.

“Yeah.” Stitch added while crawling in next to her.

“What was that file called anyway? It must have been really important.”

Stitch just shrugged. “Meega don’t know. It was just labeled ‘gen II.’”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! If you would like to help this story or any of my other stories continue on regularly support them on my patreon.


	27. An Announcement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the obvious is stated outright. And Mertle continues on being Mertle

The next day at school, Mertle did exactly what her new friends told her to. She walked into the school, in her brand new wardrobe, like she owned the place. Eyes were on nothing but her, giving her the satisfaction that she had always wanted. She could hardly contain herself as she walked the halls. It finally overflowed when she ran into her friends at Teresa’s locker.

“So? What do you guys think?” Mertle asked as she struck a pose. She had no regard for the conversation the three were having. They were used to being interrupted, having learned long ago that everything always had to be about Mertle. It used to seem like it was always just about making fun of Lilo. It didn’t occur to them until they got into their teens that that wasn’t the case. Teresa was the only one of the three to not look towards Mertle, she grit her teeth and continued getting ready for the day.

“Wow, Mertle. You look amazing.” Elena looked her up and down, genuinely amazed by her new outfit.

“That looks really expensive.” Yuki added in.

“Yeah, well…” Mertle hesitated. It was really expensive, she didn’t want her friends to know she didn’t have the money for it though. “What’s some money when it comes to looking so good?”

Teresa suddenly slammed her locker, making the other three girls and those around them jump. “Where were you yesterday?” She suddenly snapped.

“What do you mean?”

“You were supposed to be helping me finish our report. So where were you?”

“I-I was with Sam, Lea, and the gang. We were out shopping.”

“Oh? Since when is hanging out with them more important than helping me do our homework?”

Mertle was surprised, Teresa had never taken a tone like this with her before. “They are my friends. Are you actually mad at me?”

“Very.” Elena and Yuki backed away a bit. The school hallway became really quiet as Teresa continued her rant. A few people quickly grabbed their things and left. “Because of you, I had to skip my hula practice. You’re lucky I’m even letting you take credit for this still. Though I don’t know why I am.”

“Look, Teresa. I just forgot.”

“Yeah I’m sure. You know I don’t get to go to hula as often anymore…last night was supposed to be a little break for me.”

“I know, I know.” Mertle was too excited to really see what she had done to hurt Teresa. “Listen, I am in with Sam. Do you know what that means?”

“You’ve finally got everything you’ve wanted.” Teresa said, completely unimpressed.

“Exactly! I can finally get back at Lilo.”

Teresa looked into Mertle’s eyes. They were completely unwavering and excited, she saw no hint of regret in them. “Fine.” Teresa slung her bag over her shoulder. “You owe me.” She walked away before anything more could be said.

“What’s her problem?”

“Well, ever since her dad got sick she’s been taking a lot of his shifts at their store.” Elena said, hoping to finally get through to Mertle.

“And with how little we get to practice during the school year, she gets even less now because of that.” Yuki added.

“None of that’s my fault.” Mertle was going to continue to argue, but an arm around her shoulder pulled her from one world into the next.

“Hey, Mertle.” Sam said with her glaring white smile. “There a problem over here?” She glared to the two girls who quickly ran off. “Huh. Why’d they run off?”

“I don’t know, I think they’re still mad at me.”

“How could anyone be mad at you? Come on. Let’s go meet up with the others before classes start.” While Mertle was being led away by her new friend, she couldn’t help but wonder if what she had done was really wrong. She never cared about hurting others before, but she also never seen her friends so upset with her.

///

During school, Lilo’s thoughts stayed mostly on Angel and Reuben. She was really confused as to why Jumba would have a secret file in his system that not even Stitch could access. She thought for a moment about asking Glitch to enter the system and let them see it, but decided against it. If it was something important to keep hidden, they would just have to wait until their friends told them about it.

Friday had finally come and it was the last day of Lilo and Stitch’s grounding. Each day Lilo had to listen to the teacher’s announcements of their clubs. She was still uninterested in joining any of them. It didn’t seem like many students were interested in the clubs, but the ones that were talked about nothing else. Lilo couldn’t walk down the halls without hearing the same questions.

“What club are you going to join?”

“You should go into sports.”

“We should join this one together.”

Even when the questions weren’t directed at her, it was like she couldn’t escape it. She closed her locker with a loud clang. “Why is everyone so obsessed with clubs?”

“Lilo!” Victoria ran around the corner, stopping just short of running into her friend. “You have to come see this!” She could barely contain her excitement. “Come on! A new club is starting!”

“Not you too, Vic-“Lilo was cut off by her friend pulling her along with her. “I’ve told you I’m not interested.”

“I don’t care, you have to see this.” Victoria held onto Lilo’s hand tightly, her determination wasn’t going to let Lilo go. She suddenly stopped, causing Lilo to bump into her.

“Okay.” Lilo said, looking around. “What is it?”

“This!” Victoria pointed to the bulletin board they had passed a few days ago. Completely covered in posters, Lilo didn’t know exactly what she was pointing at.

“Which?”

“This one!” Victoria pointed directly at the poster, a little annoyed that Lilo didn’t see it before. “A photography club is starting. It’s the first one our school has ever had.”

“Photography? And you want me to join it?” Lilo pulled the poster down to look at it better. “Photography club. Run by Mr. Kawea. All are welcome to join. Meet in room five-one-three.”

“We have to join!” Victoria suddenly exclaimed.

“Why do we have to?” She asked while putting back the poster.

“For a couple of reasons. One, you love to take photos, and two, I know you’ve been wanting something to do ever since you finished giving the experiments a place to belong. You’d love it.”

“Well I don’t think a photo club would exactly be as adventurous as chasing genetic experiments.” The two started on their way home. Lilo had to be back soon or else she would be in more trouble. “But you are right. It would be nice to really dive into something again. The most fun I’ve had is when an experiment needs us.” She traced the ring on her finger, remembering all the times Stitch and her had to go into action again for their ohana.

“It’ll be fun, and we’ll be there together.”

“I thought you were all about math. Why do you suddenly want into photography?” Lilo poked her friend in her arm. “Does it have to do with Keoni?”

“What’s with all the questions?” Victoria said with a nervous laugh. “Can’t I just want to join a club with my friend?”

“You can.” Lilo said opening the front door of the school. The bright light of the sun blinded the two as they stepped out into fresh air. “But I also know your boyfriend has been wanting photo’s to be taken of his skateboarding team.”

Victoria got quiet really fast. Lilo could see her blush quickly cover her freckled face. “T-that’s beside the point.” Victoria stammered out.

“Okay.” Lilo said with a smile.

“Really?”

“Yeah. We can join it together.”

“Thank you so much!” Victoria nearly shouted her thanks from being so excited. She didn’t know what to do so she just hugged her friend. After the moment passed she apologized but Lilo told her it was okay. At the bottom of the stairs they saw Keoni with his friends.

Lilo told her to go on without her. “I’ve only got a little bit of time left till I need to be home anyway. You tell him on your own.”

“Alright. Thanks again.” Without hesitation Victoria ran over to her boyfriend and nearly tackled him into a hug from behind.

Lilo smiled from her friend’s happiness. She was always glad to see her friends happy and in love. It reminded her about meeting up with Angel and Reuben. _What could they need to tell us?_ Along the way home, Lilo said hi to the passing experiments. She hadn’t done a check on them in a while, but she knew Jumba would be notified if anything had happened. _It’s not like anything bad has happened lately._ _And if something did, we would be more than capable of handling it._

Once Lilo got home, she told Stitch about her joining the photography club. He was really excited for her, so much so he went and grabbed all of their photo albums. The two laid in bed together, skimming through the memories they made. It seemed like Lilo had an album for almost everything. Set to the side of the bed were opened albums for their experiment catching days. One of each experiment and their one true place, and one for the adventures themselves. Each photo was set with love and care.

“These are pretty.” Stitch said as he flipped through Lilo’s pictures of the island. “Yuuga are going to be the best in the club.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” She smiled at his compliment. Stitch’s support was always the best. It warmed her heart to know that he stood behind her no matter what. “You know. Depending on when the club meets you might be able to join us.”

“Really?” Stitch closed the album, he always loved going to hula class with Lilo, but he couldn’t go to school with her. “Meega get to spend time with yuuga at school?”

“Yeah. It’ll be just like hula class.”

“But it’s almost summer. Won’t yoga have hula and photo going on at the same time?”

“I will.” Lilo said as she moved onto the next photo album. She paused when she opened it. “These are from before we met…”

Stitch looked at the page she had opened to. It was completely covered in photos of tourists. Before they had met she had taken hundreds of photos of the people who came to the island. They continued to take them even after. It was something that Stitch loved to share with her. She always told him how beautiful they were. The two didn’t have as much time to continue the hobby throughout their experiment hunts. Afterwards Lilo moved up in her hula studies, taking time away from photography again. She always liked when she had time to continue, though.

“These ones are meega’s favorite.” Stitch said with smile.

“Mine too.” Lilo gave Stitch a kiss on his cheek. “Victoria was right. It’ll be good to start again.”

///

The next day, Lilo and Stitch didn’t waste any time in getting ready to visit Angel and Reuben. Lilo put on her red mu’umu’u, wanting to look her best. “How does this look?” She asked Stitch who had just awoken, sitting up on the bed. “Do you think I should put my hair up?” She was playing with her hair, checking different styles as Stitch rubbed his eyes.

“Meega don’t think they’ll care how you look, Lilo.” He said with a tired yawn.

“I know!” She turned to him with a pout which quickly turned into a grin. “I’m not just trying to look good for them you know.” She made her way over to him, never once losing her grin.

Stitch covered his mouth as he yawned again closing his eyes, a stray tear forming in his eye. “Huh?” He opened his eyes as he felt a weight on the bed. Lilo was kneeling over him, wrapping her hand around the back of his head. Her hair created a dark curtain around their faces.

“Do you need some help waking up?” She asked as her lips floated close to his. “Because I’m trying to look my best for you, and I need you awake for that.”

Stitch sat frozen in anticipation. Nothing in the world was as good to him as waking up to a kiss from Lilo. He blinked feverishly, trying his best to focus on her as she got closer and closer. Her lips lightly brushed his before turning into a smile.

“Awake now?” She asked as she pulled away, rubbing behind his ears.

“Lilo!” He complained, wanting nothing more than her kiss. His complaint quickly turned into a coo from her petting him though. “That’s not fair.”

She suddenly pulled him up to her, pressing her lips deeply against his. The two stayed like that, feeling like they were suspended in space for a few minutes. Stitch leaned into her kiss as much as he could, wanting to be as close to her as possible. His weight got the best of Lilo, sending them backwards. Their embrace never ended as they fell off the bed, a loud thud as they hit the floor. Neither one felt or cared about the fall, all that mattered was the lips of the other that they could currently taste.

The moment ended when a call came from below them. “Are you two okay?” It was Pleakley’s voice. Lilo was surprised it wasn’t Nani’s, but she had to answer all the same.

“We’re fine.” She called out, sharing a laugh with Stitch in her arms.

“Are you sure?”

Lilo rolled her eyes in response. She was amazed how much like a mom Pleakley could be.

“Come on, Stitch. We have to get going anyway.”

The two reluctantly took the lift down, finding a rather concerned Pleakley waiting at the bottom. “You two sure you’re not hurt?” He asked instantly. “Nani would kill me if she found out you were hurt while she was out.”

“I’m fine, Pleakley.” The two side stepped around him. Stitch ran ahead while Lilo slowly backed to the living room. “You worry too much. But you do a great job looking out for us.”

“Really?” The thin alien noodle became very bashful at her compliment. “You really think so? See! This is what I keep telling you guys but…hey!” While Pleakley was busy ranting off, Lilo took the opportunity to dash for the door. As soon as he noticed, he ran after the two of them. “Wait what about…” The door slammed. “Nani…” He opened the door to find that the two of them had completely vanished. “How do they keep doing that?”

Laughing the entire way, Lilo and Stitch soon found themselves at Angel and Reuben’s house. No longer needing separate places to live, the two moved into Angel’s single bedroom bungalow. It had a slight colour change since they got together. Rather than all pink it was now pink with yellow trim.

The two didn’t have to wait long at the door after knocking. Reuben quickly answered with his regular goofy smile. “Hey cuz, aloha Lilo.”

“Aloha.” Lilo answered as she was let into the house. The moment she was let in, her eyes darted to the side table that used to hold the picture of Angel and Stitch. Ever since that day Stitch almost attacked Angel, she would look to it whenever she had entered the house.

Stitch could see her eyes dart to the spot, now filled with an empty vase. He gave her hand a light kiss while Reuben asked them how they had been.

“We've been fine.” Stitch told him once his lips left Lilo’s hand. “Lilo is joining a club.”

“Really? That’s exciting!” They could hear the distance in the voice. He was very clearly thinking about something else, trying to hold back his excitement. “Please, sit down. Make yourself at home. Our home is your home!”

“Are you okay?” Lilo asked while Stitch got comfy before she cuddled up next to him on the couch.

“I’m great. Never better. Happier than anything.” Reuben continued digressing about being fine. The couple just laughed nervously, hoping that he was going to be okay.

“So where’s Angel?” Stitch asked to bring Reuben back to his senses. “Yuuga said there was something yuuga needed to tell us?”

“There is! Oh there really is! Um.” His eyes darted to the hallway. “She’ll be here soon. She’s just in the bedroom.” He looked between them. His body was really fidgety, like he couldn’t contain all his energy. “Where’s my manners? I didn’t even ask if you guys wanted anything to eat or drink.” Before they could decline his offer he had already gotten up and was in the kitchen.

“We’re fine, really.” Lilo told him. She could see the fridge open and close a few times. The yellow experiment was clearly not listening. “I guess we’re gonna have something, Stitch.”

In less than a minute Reuben whipped up a couple of sandwiches and drinks. The three ate in silence for a while as they waited around for Angel. Reuben gave up on trying to speak. He was afraid that if he said any more that he would ruin the whole surprise. Lilo and Stitch just glanced at each other every so often. They could tell what the other was thinking. _Save us soon, Angel._ The awkwardness hung in the air thick. The anxious experiment was about to make some more sandwiches when an angelic voice came from the hall.

“Sorry I made you two wait for me.” Angel said as she put her hand on the wall for a light support.

“Sweet cakes!” Reuben ran to her side, helping her get to a place to sit. “Are you feeling okay?” Neither Lilo nor Stitch had ever heard so much concern in his voice before.

“I’m fine, Reuben. I’m just a little nauseous.” She said as she gave him a light kiss before he sat beside her.

“Are yuuga okay?” Stitch asked.

“Yeah. If you’re not feeling well we could come by another time.” Lilo added with concern.

“No.” Angel shook her head. “I’m fine. Just going to need to get used to this.”

Stitch raised an eyebrow in confusion. Not just from what she said, but by what could cause her to feel like this. The experiments don’t get sick. At the very least, not from viruses.

“Okay.” Reuben finally started, eager to make their announcement. “There was something we wanted to tell you guys.” He grabbed onto his beloved’s hand, squeezing it lightly. He gave her a slight nod and she looked at the two of them.

Angel’s words were simple and precise. Completely stunning the two. They didn’t realize that it was possible, and it could drastically change all of the experiments futures. Not just the experiment’s, but Lilo and Stitch’s as well. Opening up a whole new possibility.

“I’m pregnant.” She told them with the largest smile she could make.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! If you would like to help this story or any of my other stories continue on regularly support them on my patreon. Or buy an updated physical copy of the first arc!


	28. We Can Have a Family?

The room filled with silence. Lilo and Stitch were in a state of shock at what they just heard. Angel and Reuben sat, nervously waiting for anything to come from their two friends. It felt like time had stopped, Lilo suddenly understood why this was kept secret.

Stitch’s hand tightened on Lilo’s. The squeeze sent a shock through her system. _Experiments can have kids?_ She looked over at Stitch, seeing that he looked exactly like how she felt. _He can be a father._ She felt herself redden at the thought of Stitch being a parent. _Could we have kids?_ Not wanting this to be about them, she quickly brought herself out of her daze.

“This is amazing!” Lilo said with a grand smile. “Congratulations!” She stood up and ran towards the soon to be parents. Being careful with Angel, she hugged them where they sat, rather than lifting them. “I’m so happy for you two.”

“Thanks, Lilo.” Reuben said, returning the hug. “I really have never been happier.”

“Stitch?” Angel’s voice sounded concerned. “Are you okay?”

Lilo let the two go and turned back to her boyfriend on the couch. He was still frozen, his mouth hung slightly agape. His eyes wavered slightly. Over the years, Lilo was able figure out where Stitch was looking, despite his eyes being pure black. He was looking right at her, never once taking them off of her. Thoughts ran through his head. Thoughts of the future, thoughts of what they could actually have. _We could be parents._

“Are you okay, Stitch?” Lilo asked, little more than a whisper. Putting her arm around his back.

“Meega okay.” He said with a smile. “Meega really happy!” He turned to his cousins, congratulating profusely. His excitement rivaled even that of Reuben’s.

After the initial excitement finally died down, Reuben grabbed everyone something to drink while they continued to talk. “Thank you.” Lilo said as she took a glass of water from Reuben. “So, how did this happen?” She asked innocently.

Stitch spat out a bit of water as Angel and Reuben froze from the question. Their faces grew increasingly red as Lilo wondered what everyone was getting worked up about. After a few moments she realized what she had said and her face quickly grew red to join the others.

“No,no,no,no. That’s not what I meant.” She explained quickly. “I mean. I didn’t know experiments could have children.”

“We didn’t at first either.” Angel said, laughing off the misunderstanding. “Jumba said that we were meant to be complete living creatures though.” She smiled dreamily as she played with the yellow ring on her finger.

“We went and asked doc about it.” Reuben continued for her. “He told us that by all means we should be able to have children.”

“So when meega ran into you the other day, yuuga really did have a check-up.” Stitch said, realizing that they weren’t lying about it at all.

Angel nodded in reply. “It just wasn’t about any illness.”

After a few moments, Lilo started to ask a barrage of questions. “So, how far along are you? Do you know if it’s a boy or girl yet? What are you going to name it?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Reuben was starting to get overwhelmed. “It’s only been a few weeks. We just found out a week ago even.”

“Awe.” Lilo was disappointed by his answer. She really wanted to know everything now. “So you won’t know for a while yet, huh?”

“Not for a while, no.” Angel started to explain what Jumba had told them. “We’re the first experiments to have a kid. This is going to be a new experience even for Jumba. We don’t really know what’s going to happen or what to expect.” She placed her hand on her stomach, smiling with anticipation. “Just have to wait and see what happens.”

“Think yuuga ready for this Reuben?” Stitch asked with a sly smile.

“I don’t know.” The nervousness in his voice was apparent, but so was the excitement. “I mean, me? A father? I’m not sure I’m ready.”

Angel placed her hand on his shoulder, brushing it slightly. “You’ll be a great father.” She turned his face so she could give him a kiss, making the two visitors in the room slightly uncomfortable.

 _Is that what Stitch and I look like when we kiss?_ Lilo thought about all the times she and Stitch had been alone, suddenly she was really glad no one ever saw them. Not that she knew of.

With nothing more to say on the big announcement. The four started to catch up. They hadn’t seen each other in a while and they missed the days when they could spend all their time together. High school had taken away a lot of free time for Lilo. Between hula, school, homework, helping with the wedding, and spending time with Stitch, she had a lot on her plate. The only time anything was dropped was when an experiment needed them for something urgent, or if the Galactic Council needed her. Now she would be adding the photography club on top of everything she already had to deal with.

The two were happy that she was going to start taking pictures again.

“Maybe you could do our family portrait.” Reuben joked.

“I’m not that good. I can take pictures sure, but it won’t be anything great.” She was happy she had so many supportive friends. Before she met Stitch, she didn’t think anyone would accept her for who she was.

“Do you still take photos of the tourists?” Angel asked. “Those were always my favorite!”

“Mine too!” Reuben agreed. “Especially that one guy with the ice cream cone. You have a lot of him don’t you.”

The group laughed and continued to talk, but soon it was time for Lilo and Stitch to head out. Supper would be soon and they didn’t want to be late again. They walked home around the town, rather than through. It would take longer, but they would be able to hold hands without worrying about being seen.

Lilo had kept quiet most of the walk, Stitch didn’t notice because he himself was lost in thought. Both had their minds on children.

“I can’t believe experiments can have kids.” Lilo finally said, breaking the silence they shared. It felt like nature was letting them have their time alone. No animals or insects came around to bother them on their walk. There was a breeze blowing through their hair and fur, but it didn’t make a sound. Stitch liked times like these because he could think a lot more clearly.

“Meega didn’t know. Meega never thought about it before.” He said as he looked at the sky, watching the slow moving clouds.

“I didn’t either.”

The two were thinking the same thing. Both wanted to ask the next question, but were worried too. Eventually, Stitch worked up the courage to say it. “So does that mean we could have kids?”

The silence returned, both of them began to blush as they thought about it. The hand they were holding suddenly felt a lot heavier, bringing a lot more meaning. The two would never fall in love with another person, if they were to ever have children, it would be with each other.

“I guess it does.” Lilo said, looking down at him, not caring to hide her slightly red face.

“Meega always thought I couldn’t.”

“Maybe it would be best to talk to Jumba.”

“That’s a good idea. He would be able to tell us for sure.”

They knew children would be a long ways away for them. They didn’t even know for sure if they would be able to yet. The idea of having a family though, brought great smiles to their faces. It brought a new hope to their future.

_Our kids…_

\\\\\

“Where were you?!” Nani’s voice sounded like thunder raining down from the heavens.

“What do you mean?” Lilo shooed away Stitch, letting him go talk to Jumba in his and Pleakley’s room.

“What do I mean?” Lilo had rarely seen Nani so mad, it actually scared her. “ _We_ were supposed to meet in town today. Remember?”

 _Meet in town? Oh no._ “Your dress.”

“That’s right.” Nani slumped herself on the couch, resting her arms on her knees. “We scheduled today to go look for wedding dresses. You said you had nothing planned, and I wanted you to be there.”

“I am so sorry, Nani.” Lilo kicked her sandals off and rushed to her sister’s side. “I completely… there’s no excuse. I should have remembered.”

“I waited two hours for you, Lilo. I was so worried.” Lilo could see that Nani’s anger was more from concern. Even if she was older now, she was still her younger sister. “I had no idea where you were.”

“I’m so sorry.” She apologized again, not quite sure what she could say. “Did you pick out a dress?”

“No.” Nani snapped, then took a deep breath. “As soon as you didn’t show I came home. Pleakley told me you went out with Stitch.”

“We went to visit Angel and Reuben. They told us that Angel is pregnant.”

“What?!” A long drawn out scream came from the hall running into the living room. Pleakley ran in, completely terrified. “The little monsters are multiplying? This is awful.” He started to pace around the room. “It was bad enough that we have six hundred and twenty six experiments here.”

“Six hundred twenty four.” Lilo corrected. Evile and six-two-eight were still dehydrated, and Mr. Stenchy and Mrs. Sickly were on his home planet.

“Right, six hundred twenty four.” He slumped over with his brow furrowed, not impressed by being corrected. “What’s going to happen when there’s even more of them? This isn’t good, it’s the complete opposite of good.”

“Nothing’s going to happen, Pleakley.” Lilo said.

“I didn’t even realize they could have children.” Nani pointed out.

“This is the first time it’s happened. I’m really happy for them.”

“Wait. So this is the first? We really don’t know what to expect?” Pleakley was starting to panic even more. He loved the experiments, but he always felt the constant danger of them suddenly going haywire. “We could all die!”

“Nothing bad is going to happen! They are having a child and it’s amazing!” Lilo shouted. The two looked at her, a little taken aback by her outburst. “Sorry. Nani,” she said while turning back to her sister. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to go pick out a dress with you tomorrow.”

“Sure, sweetie. I’d love to.” Nani gave Lilo a hug before she ran off.

“What was that about?” Pleakley asked, staring at the doorway to the hall.

“You know Lilo. She loves the experiments.” Nani laid back on the couch, flipping on the TV. “You really need to relax more. You’re always thinking the world’s about to explode or something.”

“You’re right.” He said while grabbing a duster, cleaning always helped him calm down. “What’s the worst that could happen?” He started dusting the top of the book shelf by the door, knocking over a vase that was sitting peacefully on top. Pleakley screamed at the sudden crash of broken ceramic. Nani just covered her face, unable to believe another vase had been broken.

\\\\\

Lilo went to join Stitch in Jumba’s room. She found the door had been left open a crack. Muffled voices flowed from the room, and she quickly looked back to make sure no one was coming to disturb them. A loud creak came from the door as it opened, the two inside instantly became quiet as they looked to see who was coming in.

Jumba sat on his bed, causing it to bend from his enormous body, while Stitch stood on his desk chair. All six eyes were glued to her as she pressed herself against the door to close it.

“Ah, it is only little girl.” Jumba sighed in relief. “Stitch here was just in the middle of telling me about your visit with six-two-four and six-two-five. I was not knowing they were going to be telling anybody so soon.”

“They seemed really excited.” She said as she took her place beside Stitch. “We’re really excited for them.”

“Yes. And now I am imagining that you two would be liking to know if it be possible for you two to be having with the little ones, yes?”

They both nodded. “How yuuga know?” Stitch asked, taking Lilo’s hand.

“I have known you two for a very long time. As soon as they told me of their suspicions, I knew you two would be wanting to know.”

“So is it possible?” Lilo asked plainly.

“My answer would be being a yes.” Smiles grew wide on Lilo and Stitch’s faces, seeing their excitement, Jumba quickly continued. “However, you both are far too young to be thinking of children.” He looked at them sternly. While on his planet, Kweltikwan, there was no problem with young pregnancy, he knew Earth had a very different look on it.

“I know, I know.” Lilo said, regaining her composure. “But we could actually have a family in the future, right?”

He looked at them for a few moments before answering. “Yes. Mind you, this is the first time this has ever happened in the history of the galaxy! We are not knowing what could happen. But I am not seeing any reason you two could not have a family.”

Lilo was extremely happy. She picked up Stitch and started spinning around in circles. “You hear that, Stitch? We can have a family!”

Stitch felt like he could cry from joy. He had always worried that by being with him, Lilo wouldn’t ever get to be a mother. He thought that by them becoming one, he doomed her to a life without children. To hear that he was wrong about that was too much.

“Our family. Our family.” He repeated over and over. Lilo just nodded, she couldn’t wait for what their future would bring.

“Calm down you two.” Jumba was starting to get nauseous from all their sinning around. “There is still being lots of time before there being little little girls and little Stitch’s running about. Boy, I can’t even imagine what it will be being like.”

The two thanked him before they ran off to their room. Jumba watched them ascend the elevator before he looked back at his laptop computer. He had shut it hastily when Stitch had burst into his room. Opening the laptop, he saw the processing bar begin to fill again. Atop the screen he read “Human-Experiment Child Probability.” There were many factors to consider about the situation Lilo and Stitch were in. Seeing what happens between Angel and Reuben would help determine the lives of all the experiments that were in love.

He took the laptop to his bed to lay down as he waited for the final results. He had processed a few different scenarios, most of which turned out okay. He knew that the two would want answers, and he knew how much family meant to them.

The laptop started to beep, signifying that it was finished. Jumba was slightly scared to look, not wanting to see any bad news. Taking a deep breath, he scrolled down to the results. A large “51% Chance” flashed at him.

“I’m sure it will be fine.” He told himself, slamming the laptop shut. “They have pulled off more amazing things than this before.”

\\\\\

Angel and Reuben were lying awake in their bed. Their joy couldn’t be described by words. Something they never thought possible would soon be theirs, and Angel could already feel it growing inside her. Reuben rubbed his love’s stomach gently. Eager to meet the new addition to their family. Lilo and Stitch cuddled in bed together, the warm covers creating a sense of comfort for them. Everything in life seemed to be going perfectly for them and their ohana. They were in love, they always would be, and they had a bright future with a family to look forward to.

“Our family.” Lilo said before falling asleep. She didn’t know why, but she found herself thinking back to the dream she and Stitch shared all those years ago. It suddenly felt really important. Unable to think of the details, she just let herself fall into her slumber with the love of her life. _Our family._

 


	29. Is that an Engagement Ring?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lilo and Nani go wedding dress shopping and find something special.

Kaua’I didn’t have a lot of choices when it came to bridal shops. Knowing this, Lilo and Nani opted to get a custom dress made. It would be more expensive, but it would look even more amazing. Still needing to see what it would look like, Nani was trying on some of the basic stock dresses the shop had while figuring out what it was that she liked.

Lilo sat patiently while Nani put on another dress. She tried to keep herself preoccupied, but the show room was really plain. The cream walls had nothing on them at all. Aside from the triple full sized mirror, the couch she was sitting on, and the rack of dresses behind her, there was nothing in the room. Always being full of energy, it was hard for Lilo to just sit around and do nothing. _This would have been easier if we just went to Morpholomew._

She was really happy to get to do dress shopping with her older sister. However, after not finding anything Nani liked at the first four stores, Lilo suggested to use Stitch’s cousin for the dress making.

“I know it would be easier, Lilo.” Nani had said. “But you’ll find out that sometimes it’s better to have something real. Something to keep and look at later on.”

“You could get it completely custom made though, and it would only take a second.” Lilo told her again, as they walked up to the final shop. “And he’s a part of our 'ohana.”

“I know, sweetie. But he runs a costume shop, not a dress shop.” Lilo couldn’t say anything to that, she knew Nani was right. “When you’re older you’ll understand.”

Lilo sat from her slouching position as she heard her older sister start to come out from the changing room. _This will be dress number five._ Nani walked in with confidence. The dress she was wearing was a lot fancier compared to the other ones. It had a long trail with floral designs in lace going along it. The top was strapless with a slight v-cut while the bottom formed to her curves.

“Wow, Nani.” Lilo was actually excited for the first time. The other dresses didn’t really do much, and she could see why they would need to get one custom made. “This one looks really good.”

“You think so?” The older sister asked as she looked at it in the mirror. “I’m not so sure about the top. I really liked that other one that had the lace. And the trail is too long.” She pondered it over a little more, trying to think about what she liked. “I do like this material, and how it fits, though.”

“Well.” The consultant began. “We can make any dress fit like this, but the material would take some time to get in.”

“You think it wouldn’t be ready in time?”

“You’re getting married in four months, dear.” The consultant was a really sweet and kind old lady. She was always calling everyone dear and sweetie. “It could be done, but we would be rushed.”

“No. I wouldn’t want that. It needs to be perfect.” Nani looked at it again before asking Lilo’s opinion. “What do you think?”

“Me? You know I’m not that great with dresses. I really like this one. It’s really fancy and elegant. You look like a princess, and I really like the floral.”

“Yeah. This one is a lot more you than me.” She turned away from the mirror and started to head back to the changing room. “I think I’ve almost got it, just a few more.”

Lilo didn’t realize exactly how much ‘a few more’ was. Her sister had tried on another five dresses, taking her time looking at each one. She didn’t know what all the fuss was about, sure she looked feverishly for the dress she would wear at the dance, but this was getting crazy. Discarded dresses littered the once empty floor. _Maybe I would have been like this had I not found that dress right away._ She thought back to the state she left the changing room in when she was younger. _Oh, yeah. Maybe I’m more like Nani than I thought._ With a sigh, she got up and made a path from the changing room to the mirror for her sister. On the way back to the couch, a slight wave of white on the dress rack caught her eye. Before she could take a look at it, Nani had come back out.

The dress she wore was a lot plainer, but Nani liked it for it. Lilo was more into the elegant and flashy, while she preferred the normal. The sisters were really opposites at times. This dress helped Nani make her decision though, and she described the dress she was imagining to her consultant. Even Lilo couldn’t wait to see what the finished dress looked like, but was also happy to finally get going.

Taking a final look at the room while Nani changed, the white dress on the rack caught her eye again. Feeling drawn to it, she slowly drifted towards it. With a slight hesitation, she pulled the dress off of the rack and felt like it had a small glow to it. The fabric felt like smooth silk, but she could tell it wasn’t. There was nothing spectacular to its design, yet she felt like it called to her. Her eyes darted back to the changing room, wondering how much longer until Nani came out. Deciding that she had time, she stood in front of the mirror and held the dress up to herself to see what it would look like on her.

Lilo felt the breath taken from her. Never had a plain simple dress taken her aback so much. She never imagined herself having a wedding before, but seeing this dress made her instantly want one. She was so caught up in looking at herself, she didn’t realize Nani had come back.

“You look beautiful.” Nani said, coming up behind her. Lilo could see slight tears in Nani’s eyes. “Still a long way to go, but I’m already starting to tear up at the idea of you getting married.”

Lilo continued to look at herself in the mirror, wondering if she and Stitch would ever get married. “I’m not sure. I’ve never really thought about it before.”

The old woman came out of the changing area and saw the two looking at Lilo in the mirror. “Is someone else hearing wedding bells too?”

“Oh no.” Lilo said a little flushed while pulling the dress away. “I’m way too young, I’m still only fifteen.”

“But isn’t this an engagement ring you’re wearing?” She asked while taking Lilo’s hand into hers to examine the blue ring on Lilo’s finger. “Mind you, I’ve never seen a ring like that before. And trust me, I’ve seen a lot of rings in my day.”

“Oh no, I got this ring somewhere else.”

“Would you mind if I take a look at it?” The lady asked, starting to tug on the ring.

Lilo felt the pull reflective panic took over. She quickly brought her hand out of the woman’s light grip. “No! Sorry. I can’t let you do that.”

“Lilo!” Nani was surprised at Lilo’s sudden rudeness. Lilo just walked away with the dress and put it back on the rack before leaving the shop. “I am so sorry, I have no idea what just came over her.”

“It’s fine.” The woman said with a wrinkled smile. “She’s very protective of that ring. It must be very important to her.”

“Yeah. It must be.” Nani quickly finished up the details with the lady, but her mind stayed on her sister’s outburst. _Why would Lilo do that over a ring from the Council?_

On the drive home, Lilo was scolded by Nani about the way she acted in the shop. Lilo tried to come up with an excuse as to why she couldn’t let the lady see her ring, but nothing she came up with was good enough. She had been so shocked and worried about what Stitch would have done had the ring come off. David had been spending time with Stitch while the girls were out, and there would be no way for him not to notice Stitch suddenly collapsing from the shock. On top of what Stitch were to think when it had happened. _I made the best decision I could._ _It wouldn’t be worth hurting Stitch._ She looked to Nani who kept an eye on the road without a word. _You’ll understand soon. Just not yet._ When the two got home, Lilo quickly grabbed Stitch and ran off, leaving Nani behind with David.

“So? How’d it go?” He asked, knowing he wouldn’t be getting too many details.

“It went great. The dress should be reading for fitting in a couple weeks.” Despite the happy news, David saw the slight concern on Nani’s face.

“Something the matter, Nani?”

Nani explained to David about what happened in the shop. How everything was fine until the woman started to look at Lilo’s ring. She sat on the couch and cuddled into David as she finished explaining what had happened.

“Where did she get that ring again?” David asked once Nani finished explaining.

“She got it from the United Galactic Federation.” She told him. “Remember that time a few years ago when she and Stitch just disappeared? Jumba told me that they had an emergency. When Lilo got back she told me they had a sudden meeting and that’s where she got it.”

“Well if that’s the case, I can see why she’d be so protective.” He said as he started to rub Nani’s shoulder.

“Yeah.” She smiled from the touch, David always managed to calm her down no matter what happened. “Now that I think about it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her take it off.” She started to play with the ring on her finger. “I mean, even I take off my engagement ring once and a while.”

“You take it off?” David sounded completely shocked, feigning being hurt. “Just kidding.” He said as she rolled her eyes. “You know how important all the experiments and aliens are to her.”

“I know. I know. It’s understandable.” She admitted, more to herself than to David. _It just feels like something more._

* * *

 

Having spent so long apart. Lilo and Stitch spent some alone time in their room, lying in bed together as they did most nights. Lilo told him all that had happened while she was gone, hesitating slightly at the part where her ring almost got taken off. Stitch comforted her, telling her that it would have been okay. That he would have been okay. The two had surprisingly little close calls when it had come to their rings. After the initial time Lilo had taken hers off, the two rings never once left their fingers. As far as they knew, none of the other experiments had either. Stitch tried to explain what it had felt like but couldn’t do a good job of it. At best, he said it was like a sudden electric shock, with the combined feeling of weakness. It truly felt like his heart had been broken. It was something he never wanted to feel again, and wouldn’t wish on his greatest enemies.

“So yuuga didn’t try on any dresses?” He asked once he felt Lilo had truly calmed down.

“Oh course not, silly.” She said as she pushed him lightly. “It was Nani’s day. Although…” She told him about the dress she felt that was calling to her, and how she felt when she saw it against her. “I don’t know what to say, it was like magic.”

Stitch smiled from ear to ear, happy that she got to experience something like that. “Meega never thought about marriage before.”

“Me neither. I never really thought that we would be able to.”

“Not on Earth.” Stitch said passively, looking towards the ceiling.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, on Earth we probably couldn’t. In space there are no laws against interspecies marriage.”

“So we could get married in space?”

“Ih.”

The two lay in silence as Lilo thought about what Stitch had just said. It had been a busy weekend of new discoveries for them. First they found out they could have a family, and now thoughts of marriage. Lilo wanted her entire life to be spent with Stitch, she was happy she would be able to continue it just like everyone else did. For now though, she smiled and pulled herself as close to Stitch as she could. For now they were young and in love.

“No more talking about the future.” She said with a happy sigh. “We need to enjoy the present just as much as the past.”

* * *

 

The next morning, Lilo was determined to get to school early. She had to meet up with Victoria to enter the photography club. Already halfway out the door, Lilo was stopped by her older sister.

“Hey, Lilo.” Nani said, eyeing the ring on Lilo’s finger again. “You’d tell me if there was anything going on right?”

Lilo felt guilty for a moment, knowing she was about to lie to her sister again. “Of course. I’d tell you anything. You’re my big sister. Why?” She sounded calm, but inside she was panicking.

“No reason.” Said Nani. “Just wanted to let you know you could tell me if something was bothering you. Or anything.”

“I know.” Lilo hugged her older sister, happy she had someone who looked out for her like she did. “I’m meeting up with Victoria. I really need to get going.”

“Alright. Have a good day.”

“You too!” As soon as she was out of sight, Lilo reached the school as quickly as she could. She met Victoria at the front doors, not surprised that her friend hadn’t gone in yet. The poster they had found didn’t say what day to meet, so Victoria called Lilo the previous day to meet up first thing in the morning.

“Do you think we’re too early?” Her brown haired friend asked as they wandered the empty halls. “Boy I’m nervous. Are you nervous? Of course you’re not nervous.”

“It’ll be fine.” Lilo told her, trying her best to calm her friend down. It didn’t take long for them to reach the room. Lilo could hear voices coming from behind the door. There wasn’t a lot, but enough for her to know they were in the right place. “You ready?”

Victoria nodded slightly. All of her previous courage had drained. She wasn’t much of a photographer at all, she was hoping to learn so she could help out Keoni. Now she stood in front of a door that contained people who were completely passionate about the hobby.

Noticing that Victoria wasn’t moving, Lilo stepped forward and turned the doorknob. The moment the door started to swing open, the voices stopped. Lilo grabbed Victoria’s hand and pulled her into the classroom with her. The few people that were in the room all kept their gaze on Lilo and Victoria.

The classroom looked like all the other classrooms, except that the row of desks pressed up against the window each had its own computer. There was also a door near the teacher’s desk in the corner. It looked like a supply closet, but the window on it was completely covered in newspaper.

There were two students sitting beside each other sharing a single computer, they had turned around in their chairs to look at the two that had entered the room. Lilo didn’t recognize them. One boy and one girl, they looked like they could be twins. They both had short dirty blonde hair, the boys was cut to the right and the girls to the left. Their thin freckle covered noses reminded Lilo of a mouse, but their stunning crystal blue eyes were something all their own.

At the other end of the room, a young boy Lilo had seen around school a few times slouched in a chair reading a magazine. He didn’t turn away from it, but Lilo wouldn’t be able to tell if he had. His straggly long black hair covered his face entirely. Finally, Mr. Kawea stood in the middle of the room, holding an expensive camera. He had just finished talking to a preppy boy that stood in front of him. The thin, short haired boy looked at the two shyly, adverting his gaze the moment he saw Lilo looking at him. While Mr. Kawea had a huge grin, like the most amazing thing had happened by the two simply walking in.


	30. Photography Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A handful of new and colourful people enter Lilo's life. Both for the good, and for the bad.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Mr. Kawea handed the preppy boy the camera before making a b-line for the two girls. He immediately grabbed their hands and started shaking them profusely.

“Oh thank you, thank you, thank you.” He began repeating.

“Th-th-thanks for what?” Lilo asked, feeling her entire body being shaken.

He stopped with a slight look of worry on his face. “You two are joining the club right?”

“Yeah.” Victoria said, bringing back the joy in Mr. Kawea’s young and eager face.

“Then thank you again.” He replied with giant smile. “You see, a club needs at least six students and a teacher to officially run. With you two we now have six students. I was really worried that we wouldn’t be able to stay.”

“Well then, you’re welcome.” Lilo told him, genuinely glad that they were going to get to join the club. Before, she wasn’t interested in any, but after thinking about it for a while, she was really glad to be in one with Victoria.

After waiting a few more minutes, to see if anyone else showed up, Mr. Kawea stood at the front of the classroom. He cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention, he couldn’t tell if the boy with the long black hair was looking at him, but he started anyway.

“Okay, everyone. Welcome to the Photography Club. I am the instructor, Mr. Kawea. I am a social teacher here, but I have loved photography since I was a child and studied it greatly in university. I know it’s early, but do not worry, you’re not expected to come every single day. Except I would like everyone to show up on Mondays and Wednesdays. As well, once summer vacation starts I would like to start meeting later on in the day, but we’ll get into that later.” He paused, seeing if there would be any response or questions yet. When none came, he continued. “As you can see, we are outfitted to do both analog and digital mediums. All these computers are capable of editing and handling large photo files, while we also have a dark room that’s just to my left. Now, with that out of the way, let’s do some introductions.”

Seeing that no one was volunteering to start, Mr. Kawea pointed to the boy reading the magazine. With a reluctant sigh, the boy stood. “I’m Devon, and I’m in eleventh grade.” Now that he was standing, Lilo could see that his baggy jacket made him look a lot bigger than he actually was. “I’m here because the principal told me I needed some extra credit to pass this year.” After his announcement, he sat back down without saying another word.

“Oookay.” Mr. Kawea said with a slight laugh. “We’re glad you’re here all the same.”

Next Victoria made her introduction. She mentioned not knowing a lot about photography and that she was hoping she’d get to learn about it. To which Mr. Kawea reassured her that he would teach her everything she needed to know. Next were the twins, rather than introducing themselves one at a time, they stood together.

“I’m Keahi, but everyone calls me Kea.” Said the boy.

“And I’m Kelani, but please call me Kel.” The girl quickly stated.

Both then continued in unison. “We just recently got into photography and absolutely love it.”

“I work in digital.” Kea added. “While I like analog.” Kel interrupted.

“Well I’m glad you’re here.” The teacher said with his usual smile. “So, if we put you together, would you be ‘keahilani;’ heaven’s fire?”

“That’s why we go by Kea and Kel.” The twins said together as they sat down, pouting.

With only herself and the preppy boy left, Lilo decided it was her turn to introduce herself. She explained about how she used to take a lot of photos, but over time had less and less opportunities to do so. After she finished her introduction, Kel gasped loudly.

“Wait, aren’t you the girl that hangs around with all those weird animals?” The mousy girl’s voice got higher pitch in excitement.

“Yeah you’re right.” Her brother added. “Hey, what’s up with that?”

“I like animals.” Lilo simply stated, not turning around to look at them, completely ignoring the fact that they called her ohana weird.

The twins continued to harass and ask questions until the preppy boy that sat in front of Lilo and Victoria bolted up. His designer aqua over shirt slowly drifted back down around him as the two finally quieted down. “My name is Daniel and I like animals too.” Lilo titled her head in confusion as to why he would suddenly stick up for her like that. His lightly tanned skin was hiding the slight redness of his face as he then continued his introduction. “My mother owns a tech shop in town. I quickly fell in love with the cameras when I was little. So photography has basically been my life. I’m just really happy to have a club to share the fun of it with, and I hope we can all get along.”

Lilo was surprised by his attitude. She started to recognize him after he sat down. She always saw him hanging around with the richer kids that always acted ‘too good’ for the rest of the school. Not in the same way that Mertle or Sam did though. She could hear whispers coming from behind her as Kea and Kel shared a joke about Daniel. She turned around to look at them but only met their vacant stares.

Once introductions were over, the group could hear the sound of students beginning to fill the halls.

“Is it that time already?” Mr. Kawea asked while looking at his watch. “Okay. I’d like it if you all would bring your favorite photo that you have taken yourself. They don’t have to be the best, just your favorite. We will talk about them on Wednesday.”

Lilo and Victoria were the first ones out of the classroom. Lilo didn’t want to be late for Mrs. Carnes class again, and Victoria wanted to talk until she reached her classroom.

“Quite the group, huh?” Victoria said with a giggle.

“Yeah. I wonder what was up with that Daniel guy.” Lilo liked that he stood up for her, but she didn’t feel like she really needed it.

“I don’t know. Maybe he just doesn’t like those two.”

“Maybe.”

Lilo’s day of surprises didn’t end with the photo club though. Not once through Mrs. Carnes class did she get asked a question. She didn’t even get harassed or scolded for not having finished her homework again. Every time her teacher caught Lilo’s eyes, she would instantly look away. It was like a completely different environment. _Did I scare her by jumping out of the window?_ She didn’t think of the consequences at the time, but if she was a normal teenager that jump should have hurt her at least a little. _I should probably tone things back a bit._ Thankfully, the rest of the school day went by normally. At lunch, Lilo and Victoria told Keoni about their morning club. He said that he had a class with the twins, and that they seemed to like bugging people, but they weren’t that bad once you got to know them.

After school had ended, Lilo ran into Mr. Kawea as she made her way out of the building. She asked him if she would be allowed to bring Stitch to the club.

“Well. It’s against school rules to let animals into the building.” He saw the sad look on her face, making him feel slightly guilty. “But… If you can promise he’ll behave then I won’t tell anyone.”

Lilo thanked him greatly before quickly running off. She wanted to get home as soon as she could to tell Stitch the news, but was stopped as she heard a crash followed by laughter. Following the sound, she came across Sam’s gang standing over a couple freshmen whose books had flown everywhere. It looked like the most stereotypical bullying that Lilo had ever seen.

Squeezing her way through the sea of students, she helped clean up the books and papers as one of the boys started helping himself up. She gave the other boy his things to which he gave a silent nod of thanks, fixing his glasses, they both took off at a run, barely squeezing through the crowd.

“Oh look, its shorty again.” Sam’s voice sounded unamused, but spiteful tone was hidden behind it. “Or should I can you, Weirdlo?”

“Weirdlo?” Lilo whispered to herself. She got up off of the floor to look at the group of girls. “Where’d you hear that? The only one that’s every called me that was-“Before she finished her sentence, her longtime rival stepped from between Abby and Jen. “Mertle…”

“I see you’re being a goody-goody as always.” Mertle looked right at home with Sam’s group.

“I always knew you had it out for me.” Lilo said, readjusting her backpack on her shoulder. “I didn’t know you were just a straight up bully though.”

Mertle was about to make another snide remark when Sam’s arm went around her shoulder. “Bully? What are you talking about? Those two just tripped. That’s all. We were going to help them up. Isn’t that right girls?” The group of four behind her just nodded in response.

“Whatever.” Lilo said, deciding it was best to ignore them. She walked past them, feeling the glares on her back.

Mertle looked back to where the two had run off. Over the heads of students, she was able to see her friends there. None of them would look her in the eye. _What’s up with them?_ She was about to go talk to them when she was pulled away by Sam.

“Come on, girls.” She commanded, the sea of students parting for them to walk freely.

“I actually have to get going.” Mertle stated, wanting to see why her friends wouldn’t look at her. “Can I catch up with you later?”

“What?” Sam looked confused, but then saw the girls Mertle hung out with start to walk away. “Sure. No problem.” Her smile made Mertle feel like she really belonged there, but it also sent chills down her spine.

Sam and Lea watched Mertle as she met up with her friends. Abby and Jen cornered a girl against her locker to get some homework off of her.

“So, what do you think?” Lea asked. “Do we cut her out?”

“No.” Sam said with her confidence intact. “We need her to get to Lilo. She adores us, she’ll do what we want.”

“Her friends might get in the way.”

“Yeah.” Sam turned around, signaling for the other two to follow them. “We’ll just need to remind her who her friends are now.”

Lilo couldn’t get home fast enough. The incident with Sam left a sour taste in her mouth and she needed to brush it off. Thankfully, Stitch was waiting for her when she got home. Her bag didn’t even reach the floor before she was tackled into their bed. She didn’t even bother to make it in the mornings anymore, it would become a mess instantly after they reunited from any time apart. The two rolled around in the tangle of covers, laughing together.

In response for the tackle, Lilo started to tickle Stitch’s sides. His ears twitched as he realized what was happening. He quickly tried to struggle free, but Lilo already got a grip on him. Stitch’s legs were caught in the blanket, while Lilo kneeled over him to keep him in place.

“You asked for this.” She said with an evil grin. Her fingers quickly ran all over Stitch’s sensitive parts. He tried to pull her off of him in his fits of laughter, but she was too quick. “You know how to end this.”

Stitch couldn’t keep a straight face going long enough to make a coherent reply.

“No…meega…” He continued to struggle, not wanting to give in. He had planned to do the same to her, but she started before he could. “Meega…get…out…” Lilo was holding his whole body in place with her own. He had nowhere to move. All he could do was wiggle and laugh at her touch.

“This can end.” Lilo told him in a sing song voice. “Just say the magic words.”

The tickle fight continued. Stitch was absolutely adamant to not give in. Deciding that he couldn’t overpower her without hurting her at this point, he would take a different approach. Still able to move his arms, he reached around Lilo’s back. She tensed up, thinking he was about to tickle her. What she didn’t expect was his hands lightly massaging up and down her sides. Sending shivers down her spine, Lilo tried to keep her focus away from his gentle touch.

“I know what you’re doing…” She said lightly. “It’s not going to work.”

Stitch still couldn’t stop laughing. However, the tickling had lightened slightly. “We'll see.”

The two made a competition out of everything. Both tried to focus on what they were doing while the love of their lives continued. Stitch was having the harder time, slight spasms making him take his hands off of Lilo every time she reached a particularly sensitive spot. Even though she felt like she was winning, Lilo wished Stitch would stop. Over the few years, Stitch had discovered every spot that Lilo enjoyed. In this battle to make the other give up, he was using everything he had at his disposal. The giggling ruined any romantic mood, but the feeling of his hands on her still drove her wild. Each touch was like a spark. Going up and down her sides, then across her back. Lilo was having more and more trouble keeping her concentration. After a long day at school, Stitch was exactly what she needed to calm down.

The tickling quickly came to a stop as Lilo let down her guard. She couldn’t help but smile and hold onto Stitch as he let his second pair of hands come out and join in her massage. Stitch had won, she didn’t care about tickling him anymore. All Lilo cared about was being close to him.

“Okay, you win.” She said with a sigh. “You can stop.”

“No.” Stitch whispered, finally able to breath properly again. “Yuuga deserve this.” He continued his light massage, enjoying the smile that came across her lips. Nothing in the world pleased him more than making Lilo happy. With how busy their lives were, the moments alone where they could enjoy sweet gestures became a thing to cherish. Running his hands down her spine, Stitch felt a jolt as she suddenly squeezed onto him.

Lilo giggled and gave his cheek a kiss. She looked into his tender eyes, drawn into the dark pools. His hands had stopped, but she didn’t care. She brought her hands up to his face to cup it as she brought him into a passion filled kiss. They began to roll around in the bed, no longer in a tickle war, but in a fit of love. Both wanted to be on top as they fulfilled the fire in their hearts.

“By. The. Way.” Lilo said between kisses.

“Yeah?” Stitch replied as he took a breath.

“You can come. To the club. With me.” Stitch didn’t reply, but Lilo could feel his lips form a smile against hers.

The two continued their loving embrace until they were called for dinner. They talked about their day and everyone was excited that Lilo was taking photos again. Nani asked that she try to steer clear of taking pictures of strangers, but everyone agreed that those were their favorites. After some arguing, Nani gave up. The whole time, she couldn’t help but look at the ring on her little sister’s finger. It was something she had grown accustomed to seeing, but it kept reminding her about Lilo’s outburst at the dress shop. She knew that if anything was happening, Lilo would tell her, so she decided to forget about the whole thing.

Nani joined in the conversation and laughter. For the first time in what felt like forever, the family was having a nice family dinner together.

Meanwhile, in a small shop in town. A small aqua coloured experiment started to feel something. It didn’t know what it was, but it felt like something was changing inside of them. Their mind filled with images of the black and white experiment they fell deeply in love with. No matter what the small experiment did, they couldn’t stop thinking about their boojiboo. Trying to be good, they suppressed the desire to break out of the store and rush to the side of the one they loved.

 


	31. A Falling Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which true friendships begin to be tested, and a new possible threat looms over the island.

Over the next few weeks, things seemed to have quieted down. Lilo’s science and gym teacher’s quit asking her to join their clubs once she joined Mr. Kawea’s, much to her delight. The photography club had also taken a great liking to Stitch. Kea and Kel could barely keep their eyes and hands off of him. Lilo didn’t understand why they had such an interest in the experiments, but didn’t think it odd since all of the experiments attracted attention. Stitch patiently dealt with their prodding. He knew he needed to be good for Lilo, or else they would get into trouble. Lilo giggled at his discomfort, but quickly stopped once she saw his glare.

“What is he?” Kel asked, lifting up one of his lips to see his teeth.

“A dog? No,” Kea continued to look around Stitch to examine every inch, “It’s more like a koala. A koala dog?”

“Don’t be stupid,” Kel said, slapping her brother in the back of the head. “There’s no such thing. He’s also too big to be a koala.”

“Where did he come from?” the twins asked Lilo together.

Lilo thought it over for a moment.

“He came from outer space,” she said truthfully. The twins stared at her for a second, then all three burst out laughing. _No one ever believes me._ Lilo found that Keoni was right. While they both come off as slightly abrasive, and a tad rude, once you got to know them they were fine.

Victoria was starting to get the hang of things as well, and was excited to ask Keoni if she could do his teams photos. Unfortunately, Devon continued to be a quiet mystery. For someone who claimed to only join for easy extra credit, he showed up nearly every single day. However, he would never talk. He only continue to read his photography magazines. Stitch enjoyed spending time with Lilo at the club, it reminded him of the times when they had hula practice almost every day. He was close to being discovered by passing teachers a few times, but the other club members helped keep him hidden in every situation. They started to become a really good team.

While photography club was becoming more and more fun for Lilo, the few hula classes did not. Myrtle would never stop talking about her new friends, or about how amazing it was to hang out with Sam. Teresa, Elena, and Yuki were all starting to get sick of it. She barely spent any time with them anymore. Whenever she did, all she would continue to talk about was Sam anyway. It felt like they were losing their friend, and it seemed like it was changing her.

The trio always thought that Myrtle was starting to grow out of her spiteful ways. Slowly, but surely. Now it was coming back in full. It wasn’t even just towards Lilo. They had seen her being mean to anyone that crossed her path in school. To them, it was always one thing to call someone names, or exclude them from things. It was another to actually torment and ridicule someone, especially in high school. They weren’t kids anymore, and Myrtle was starting to act like one more and more.

“Myrtle!” Teresa shouted while walking out of their dance hall. “Could you stop talking about them for one second?”

“What?” Myrtle asked, sounding confused. “I’m trying to help you. You really should try this conditioner Sam showed me. It’ll totally straighten out your hair.”

Teresa ran her hand through her long curly hair. “I like my hair.”

“But it would be so much better…”

“Give it a rest,” Yuki interrupted. “You know, Myrtle. Ever since you’ve been hanging out with them you’ve been a lot ruder.”

“Yeah. You haven’t been listening to anything we’ve been saying,” said Elena. “We keep telling you we don’t care about what Sam said. Or Lea said. Or what Abby and Jen did.”

“But you should. They’re my friends.”

“Really?” Yuki asked. “Do friends make you hurt others?” While she was talking about the things Myrtle was doing now, she couldn’t help but think about the past. She still remembered being forced to try to hurt Lilo at the dance, still regretting it.

“What do you mean? I haven’t done anything I haven’t done before,” she said a little too proudly.

“But it’s always been to Lilo. Despite what we did to her she always stayed our friend.”

“Speak for yourself.” Myrtle rolled her eyes. “Her? My friend? Never. Not after what she did to me. Do you know how long it took to get that stuff out of my hair?”

“That was entirely your fault,” Yuki told her.

“Shut up, Yuki!”

“She has a point,” said Teresa. “The way you’ve been bullying basically everyone. Even that’s below you. You’ve always been about getting at Lilo. What does taking homework, money, bags, and jackets… what does any of it have to do with Lilo?”

“It’s just some fun,” Myrtle was getting defensive.

“No. It’s not.” Teresa had always been on Myrtle’s side, but she couldn’t stand for behavior like this. “You shouldn’t hang out with them anymore.”

“Oh. I see how it is.” She looked to the three of them, pulling her new designer bag up over her shoulder. “You’re all jealous.”

“What?” the three exclaimed at the same time.

“Yeah. Sam told me this would happen. Why can’t you just be happy for me?”

“We can,” said Elena. “But what you’re doing is hurting others.”

Myrtle didn’t say anything. Her silence spoke volumes to her friends. Instead of saying anymore, she started to walk away, barely brushing past Teresa. After all their years together, Myrtle was actually turning her back on her friends. She was their leader, and always stood up for them. Now they could only watch her as she walked a path they couldn’t follow.

“Don’t forget who your real friends are!” Yuki shouted, in one last effort to get the Myrtle they knew back.

Myrtle stopped for a moment, contemplating her actions. She felt her bag weighing her down, keeping her in place. She felt like everything she had done led to that point. Finally needing to decide between her friends, or getting back at Lilo. She knew the choice that Gigi would want her to make. It was because of her dog that she tried to cut back on tormenting Lilo after the incident. No matter what, she just couldn’t let go, couldn’t get the laughs out of her head. She could try to forget all of it, and go back to her friends.

Lilo, Stitch, and Victoria watched from the crack of the door. They had heard everything that happened between the four girls. Lilo thought something was going on, she at least didn’t think Myrtle spending time with the biggest bullies in school was a good thing. Victoria hoped that they would see Myrtle turn back, but to none of their surprise, she didn’t. They watched as Myrtle walked away and out of sight. Opening the door, the trio looked towards them, disappointment filling their eyes. No words of comfort could be said. They had just watched their friend walk away from them, for what could be for good.

When she had heard what happened, Sam had trouble keeping back a smile. What she had wanted finally occurred. Now that her friends were out of the way, she would have Myrtle entirely to herself. And with her help, they could finally get at Lilo. Only Myrtle could do it, no one that disliked Lilo knew her well enough to really get at her weakness. Meanwhile, Myrtle was happy to be accepted by Sam and her group. She felt guilty for leaving her friends, but she felt like she found a place she truly belonged.

\\\\\

Lilo could feel the oncoming pressure of the summer. Only one more month remained until she had to deal with final exams once again. She didn’t mind taking tests, but they always took up so much time, and held so much weight in school. It always felt like the end of the world when finals started to roll around. To top it off, Nani’s wedding was now only a few months away. The entire family was starting to feel the excitement as each day passed.

“Okay,” Nani said for the fifth time as she looked at her binder full of plans. “Okay.”

“Nani. You’re doing it again,” David said as he placed down a cup of coffee at the table for her.

“Sorry.” She gave a weak smile, trying her best to keep herself calm as she ran through everything again.

“Everything’s going to be alright. What is it this time?”

Nani took a sip of the coffee, relishing in its warmth. “It’s just... I’ve been looking at the photos we took of the venue.”

“Didn’t you love it? You picked it out yourself.” He placed his hand on the back of her chair, peering over her shoulder.

“I did.” She thought about it for another moment. “I do. I really do.” She shuffled through the pictures in her hands. The nice wide open cliff side created a nice backdrop for a beach wedding. They had decided to get married in the ocean. Almost their entire lives revolved around the water, so they felt it was fitting.

“Did you want a different beach?” David was asking questions, but he knew she needed to figure things out for herself. His input wasn’t going to help.

“No.” She said confidently. “This will be perfect. I’m just over thinking things again.” David’s hand moved to her shoulder which she happily grabbed with her own. She knew everything was going to be amazing, she always had a knack for worrying over nothing. Always the overprotective worrier of the family. David’s comforting hand and smile always managed to calm her down. She didn’t need it to be perfect, she just wanted a completely normal wedding with her friends and family there with her. The two shared a sweet moment together, as David brought his lips down upon Nani’s head.

“It’s going to be amazing,” he said in a light whisper.

“I know.”

The moment was broken by a shriek as Pleakley ran in, dropping papers all over. “This is going to be a disaster!” He bumped into the table, almost knocking over Nani’s coffee which she quickly grabbed. He continued to run around the room muttering how everything would be ruined. Dropping papers just as quickly as he was picking them up.

“Calm down, Pleakley.” Nani grabbed the alien’s arm, making him drop everything he was holding.

David helped picked everything up for him, noticing that they were all pictures of the stars.

“What are these?” he asked in bewilderment.

“What are these? What are these?” Pleakley couldn’t help but chuckle at David’s uneducated wonder. “These, David, are star charts. I’ve had them mapped out all the way until the big day. And I can tell you, this is a disaster!” he shouted the last word, losing his cool again.

“Why is it a disaster?” Nani started rubbing her temples.

“You see this?” he asked as he pointed to a cluster of stars in one of the photos.

“Uh-huh.”

“This is the Trean star cluster. When all the stars align in a certain way, it foretells disaster.” Pleakley quickly grabbed a nearby calculator, and began punching in numbers. “Now, I’ve done my calculations. And if I’m right, and I always am, these stars will align in…” He pauses with a puzzled look on his face. “Huh, that’s not right.” The calculator was quickly thrown away, making a thud against the wall. “Anyway. The stars are going to align on your wedding day. I know it. You can’t have it on that day.”

Nani and David looked at each other. Both were weighing the alien’s words. Most of the time, Pleakley spoke complete nonsense, but his opinions still held some value. They gave a half smile while shaking their heads.

“The date has been set, Pleakley,” David told him as he began pushing him out of the room. “But we will keep it in mind.”

“Fine! But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Pleakley took his papers and stomped off, upset that he was being ignored again.

Comforting silence quickly filled the kitchen. Despite meaning well, Pleakley seldom caused anything but worry. The minutes after his outbursts were much more welcome than when he would barge in.

Nani closed the binder as she stood from the table. Her hand rested on the cover for a moment. She could feel the time and effort put in the planning radiating from it. It gave her comfort, but she also felt scared. _I can’t believe it’s finally happening._ She felt a flutter in her stomach as David’s strong arms wrapped around her. He didn’t speak a word, but he didn’t have to. She could feel everything she needed from his embrace. His lips met the nook of her neck and all her worries melted away. She turned around in his arms, staring into his warm loving eyes.

“How did I get so lucky to have you?” Nani let herself rest against him, her head on his shoulder.

“I’m the lucky one,” he said softly. “I’ve always been the lucky one.”

Lilo could see the two hug from the couch in the living room. She smiled, knowing that her sister really found someone who loved her. Always knowing that Nani and David were meant to be together, she was really happy to finally see the two getting married. It was a hard fought battle on David’s part. He knew Nani had a lot to deal with as she took care of Lilo, but he never gave up on her. She felt a warmth encompass her hand, followed by a tug.

“Stitch!” Lilo whispered as she fell into her blue companions arms.

“What?” he asked, teasing her playfully. Her light protests didn’t stop his lips from finding their way around her.

“What if they see?”

“They’re not looking.”

The smile he gave when he started to kiss her was one she had grown accustomed to over the years. It wasn’t his usual toothy grin, or even his caring smile that melt the world around her. It was a smile that told Lilo he was in love with what he was doing, and in love with her. He couldn’t love anyone else, and he planned on showing it.

Lilo continued to put up her small resistance, but couldn’t help herself. She loved his embrace too much. Sneaking a peek back towards the kitchen, she saw that neither one was looking towards them. She could hear Pleakley still stomping around his room, complaining to Jumba about Nani and David ignoring his warning. She leaned herself back and grabbed the fur on his chest. With great force she pulled him up into her, locking her lips to his instantly. Their eyes fluttered closed as they stole a moment together, completely in the open. Few times were shared where they let themselves be bold enough to show their love with family nearby, but it always excited them. Both couples continued their embrace, oblivious to everything that was happening around them. For different reasons, both needed their moment of bliss as their chaotic lives continued to race around them. Finally hearing movement from the kitchen, Lilo and Stitch broke apart, faces red and gasping for breath.

\\\\\

Meanwhile, the main computer monitor in Jumba’s lab flashed red. The warning signal for experiments entering the final programming stage began to sound. After a second, the warning ended and then restarted. This cycle continued throughout the night. The numbers two-eight-two and four-three-four appeared along with the warning, before completely disappearing from record. Even the information on the activated experiments vanished from sight. A complex system created by Jumba, he never imagined anything could tamper or hinder it once it had been set. Warning after warning was let out every night for over a month, going completely unnoticed. It was becoming more frequent as time passed, but would end just as quickly as it started. With so much strain, the system completely shut down. The red warning glow that filled the room cut, sending the lab back into complete darkness.

 

 


	32. Click and Monochrome

Click ran around the small shop that he called home. It was still early, but the owner always liked to open the store as soon as possible. He looked at the towering walls of technology. Looking like an aqua coloured chipmunk, but being around two feet tall, the tall shelves and walls amazed him. His large black eyes stared up at stereo systems. Absolutely adoring everything technological, he was happy that Lilo and Stitch found him this store to work in. Nothing could be better to him. Jumba created him so that he could infiltrate highly developed planets that relied a lot on computers and technology. Nothing electronic could affect or be used on Click. Whenever something would try to lock on him or see him, it would completely shut down. Despite this, he couldn’t help but love anything he found.

The shop’s owner called out to him, asking him to rearrange the wall of remotes. With a smile, Click quickly ran to the display. The shakiness he had felt the previous night had finally stopped. He didn’t know why, but more and more frequently he had felt the urge to rush to his loved one. The only thing that stopped him was his love for the store, and desire to be good.

Never really being evil, Click couldn’t help his power. When he was activated, he found himself awestruck by the world that was around him. Lights, vehicles, buildings, and everything he loved. It always made him sad that he couldn’t use the things he loved on himself. The moment he saw a camera, he would take it and try to use it. Growing sad the moment it didn’t work, he would instantly destroy it and look for something else. His anti-technology ability was something that was constant, he wasn’t like the other experiments that could just turn their powers on and off. However, the sudden destruction of tourist cameras in Kaua’I started an uproar, and it wasn’t long until Lilo and Stitch were able to find and help him.

Doing another quick lap around the store, he saw the old black and white television the store owner kept. It instantly reminded him of his beloved, making him feel that urge again. He tried to suppress it, pushing away the need to run to her. Click wondered if only he was feeling it. He and his boojiboo hardly ever got to see each other, both of their one true places kept them very busy. While he normally missed her greatly, this was something a lot more. Something he was starting to lose control over. His legs started to get shaky, causing him to lose his footing and trip. With a large crash a rotating display filled with batteries fell over as he knocked into it. The few people in the store looked towards the sound, and Mrs. Jefferson, the store owner, rushed to Click’s side.

“Click! Are you okay?” She dropped to her knees. Normally being a relatively lonely woman in her early thirties, she enjoyed the company Click provided when he appeared.

“Soka.” He said strained. “Meega clean up.”

“No, no, no.” She said with a look of caring and worry in her eyes. “You go rest up, you look like you’re in pain. I’ll clean up and come check up on you.”

“Smish.” He shook off the feeling and slowly made his way to the back room, feeling guilty for causing trouble. He forgot to turn off the alarm as he opened the door, but the beeping quickly turned off on it’s own. Click’s sad sigh could be heard throughout the store.

\\\\\

“What are these?” Daniel asked, he could barely see in the dark room. He pulled a drying photo off it’s hanger, straining to see in the warm orange glow.

“They’re photos, Daniel.” Lilo said sarcastically. Both she and Stitch at her side laughed at her joke. The boy only rolled his eyes at her comment.

“I know that. What are they of?” He put it back in it’s place. A long row of photos were hung up. He was amazed at how quickly Lilo was able to develop the pictures she took. He had been developing his own shots since he was a child, but even he couldn’t manage it like she did. It was like magic to him and the others.

“They’re of tourists.” Lilo placed another blank square of paper into the development solution.

“Why tourists?” Daniel asked as he bumped into the movable shelf of supplies that was beside him. “Ow. I don’t get how you see so well in here.” Stitch brought him over a chair that he gladly sat in, giving Stitch a light word of thanks.

“I guess I just have good eyes.” She giggled.

Stitch could see the boy’s smile through the darkness, his face lighting up at Lilo’s giggle. Daniel seemed to smile every time he looked towards Lilo. It was something Stitch noticed ever since he first started to attend the club. He didn’t think much of it, and Lilo never saw. Instinctively, he brought himself closer to his girlfriend, feeling silly about the whole gesture. Trying to keep the smile from bothering him, he went back to watching Lilo rhythmically develop the photos they had taken together.

“Anyway. The tourists?” Daniel asked again after a short time.

Lilo wiped her hands off on her protective apron. “Hmm. It’s hard to explain.” She turned around and leaned against the counter top, reaching down to scratch Stitch’s head. “I did it a lot more when I was younger. I really thought they were beautiful. They always came here, probably for different reasons. Sometimes I liked making up stories for them.” She laughed to herself at the memories. “They came from all over. Tall people, short people, fat, skinny, harry, bald. So many different lives, but they all came here. To the island I lived on. It made Kaua’i feel even more special.” She turned back around, the smile leaving her face. “Of course there is always the down side. The way some would look at us. Like we’re on display… I didn’t like it. I’ve always been different. Looked at differently. I feel bad, but in those cases it felt good to turn it around.”

She felt Stitch brush up against her, his hand grabbing hers. It quickly brought back the comfort, cheering her up as it always did. She and he always felt a little like outcasts, but they found comfort in their differences together. A light squeeze quickly brought back her happy smile, warming Stitch’s heart.

“Sorry. That kind of became a downer, didn’t it?” She said, quickly grabbing her dry photos off their hangers.

“No, it’s fine.” Daniel continued to sit in the chair. “I kind of get what you mean. I’ve been here for a long time, I’ve seen those looks."

Silence fell between the two, a shared awkwardness. Neither one really knew what to say to the other. It wasn’t something words could really describe.

“I like the photos though.” He finally chimed in. “It’s a really interesting thing. Especially if it’s something from your childhood.”

“Thanks. Everyone tells me that they’re their favourite photos I’ve taken. Especially Stitch here.” She gave him a scratch behind his ear as she kissed the top of his head. Daniel couldn’t see it through the darkness. Stitch gave a quick bark in response, going back to the guise of a dog.

“Hey!” A sudden shout followed by loud banging on the door startled the three. “You done yet, Lilo?” Kel’s voice made Lilo and Stitch cringe a bit. Somehow, she managed to reach a pitch when she yelled that the two didn’t like. Daniel turned the regular light on, finally able to see everything clearly.

“You okay?” He asked, seeing Lilo kneeling next to Stitch, both sharing a look of discomfort.

“I’m fine. You can let her in.”

Daniel opened the door, almost getting hit by Kel’s falling fist.

“About time.” She said, looking between the three. “I thought I was going to turn to dust before I got in here.” She placed her camera on the counter before shooing the impeding guests out of the room. “Now scram. I want to do some stuff before classes start.” The door slammed behind them, and Lilo could hear frantic shuffling come from inside the dark room.

Devon watched the whole scene, but kept quiet. When he saw the eyes of the two land on him he went back to reading his magazine.

“Don’t mind her.” Kea said from one of the computers. “She got a picture of one of those animals you like in the forest near our house. She really wanted to develop it right away.”

“Oh yeah?” Out of curiosity, Lilo found herself behind Kea. “Which one?”

“This one.” He clicked around the desktop before an image popped up large on screen. A grey and white experiment that looked like a tall rabbit stood in front of a hiking trail. Lilo instantly recognized her spotted chest and large floppy ears.

“Monochrome?” Lilo said out loud to herself.

“Is that her name?” Kea asked, intrigued. “Do they all have names?”

“Huh?” Lilo forgot he was there for a second. She was worried about the fact that Monochrome was out in the forests. She was always scared to be out alone, preferring to stay in the town. “Yeah. I’ve named them all.” Ignoring Kea’s follow up questions, Lilo looked down to Stitch. The same look of concern was drawn across his face. “She should be at the medical clinic…”

Having the ability to steal colour from people’s sight, she truly created a world in monochrome. Once someone’s colour had been taken, she could no longer be seen by those that had been affected. She completely blended in to the black and white world. Once activated, Monochrome went into a panic. She was completely terrified of nature and the new environment. She stole the colour from everyone she came across, hoping to hide and be safe. While chasing after her, Lilo had become affected by Monochrome’s ability, it was because of this that Lilo also discovered that she had the ability to give people colour. Stitch had figured out that her one true place was at the Kaua’I Medical Clinic, where she could help patients with colour blindness. Monochrome instantly loved it, she enjoyed being a nurse and helping people. It also kept her far away from the forests.

Kea looked back at the screen, “We live pretty far away from there.”

Lilo looked at Stitch and he gave her an understanding nod. As soon as the bell rang, he quickly left the school. Lilo hoped that Stitch would be able to find Monochrome before she had a panic attack. _What would make her leave?_ She remembered the look of distraught on the experiment’s face. It didn’t look like the terror she had before. _She looked more…worried._ Lilo recognized the look before, but was having trouble remembering where it was from. Constantly at the back of her mind, she became frustrated with herself. She let out an exasperated sigh, hoping that Stitch would be able to find Monochrome soon.

Stitch was getting nowhere in his search. The only thing he had to go on was the picture he saw on the computer. However, almost all of the forests on the island looked the exact same. It didn’t help that he didn’t know where Keahi and Kelani lived. All he knew was that it was far away from the medical clinic that Monochrome stayed at. For all her knew, she could be on the complete opposite end of the island.

Thinking that she may have started to steal the colour from people’s and animals sights, he looked for anyone acting like they did when she was initially activated. Taking a close look at every individual, he could find a single person that was rubbing their eyes, testing their vision, or blinking rapidly in confusion. Sadly, no one he found anywhere seemed to be having trouble. He quickly checked the medical clinic, to see if she had returned, but became disheartened when he found that she didn’t. None of the other workers had seen her either.

“Now what do meega do?” He asked as he left the building. Looking around for any sort of clues, he found himself drawn in the direction of the beach. His old experiment hunting instincts took over, and he started to move faster and faster, until he was at complete run. Moving on their own, his hands and feet soon reached the soft sand, but they kept going. “What am I doing?” Stitch asked himself as soon as he finally came to a stop. “Why did meega run here?”

“Cousin!” A voice shouted from behind Stitch.

He turned to see he had just run to the old lost and found hut on the beach. His red aardvark like cousin stood on the counter top. “Finder! Of course.” Stitch quickly became hopeful. He may not be a great tracker, but Finder could find anything.

“Gaba ika tasoopa?” Finder asked as Stitch rushed over to him.

“Can yuuga find Monochrome for me?”

“Cousin look for cousin?” Finder was confused. No one had ever asked him to locate one of their ohana before. “Monochrome missing?”

“Ih. Meega worried something might have happened to her. Only yuuga can find her.”

Determination set in the red experiment’s small black eyes, and his nose was ready for action. With a honk of his nose, he started sniffing the ground. Instantly getting a scent, he rushed off towards town. Stitch followed closely, not wanting to lose two cousins in one day. They quickly passed through the entirety of their home town, and started tracking around the forests. Stitch was confident that Finder would be able to find her, no matter where she was.

“We almost there, Finder?” Stitch asked after over an hour of searching.

The small creature didn’t answer, he just continued sniffing the ground. Monochrome wasn’t an easy cousin to track. Normally Finder found lost items, not people. He could find anything, but a living creature could move. The only way they would find her is if she were to stay in one spot long enough. Thankfully, she had done just that. As quickly as he had started, Finder stopped and started to honk his nose into the air.

Stitch didn’t see Monochrome around, but hearing a light whimper told him she was nearby. He turned his attention to the source of the sound, a bush just to their side. Finder stayed back while Stitch approached carefully. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her even more.

Slowly pushing foliage to the side, the gray rabbit like experiment they were searching for was revealed from behind bush. She slid back away from them, covering her face with her large ears. Stitch approached her slowly.

“Monochrome…” Finder whispered.

With a light yelp, Monochrome shot her ear out, hitting Stitch right across the cheek. He saw a bright light and then the world suddenly turned black and white to him. Unable to see any colour, his rabbit like cousin disappeared from sight. Stitch shot a glare at Finder who backed away slightly with a nervous smile that told Stitch he was sorry.

“Monochrome.” Stitch said her name lightly, wanting to calm her down. “It’s meega, Stitch. Yuuga’s cousin.” He couldn’t see her, he didn’t know if she made any move showing that she knew who he was. Once she was in a state of panic it was hard to calm her down. “Meega know you’re there, Monochrome. It’s okay, we won’t hurt you.” Stitch heard a light shuffling and stepped towards it. “Meega just want you to feel better and tell me what happened.”

He felt another hit to his body, then another, and another. Monochrome was lashing out, hoping to scare him off, but he wasn’t going to leave her. He continued to step towards her. He could barely hear her breathing, and knew she was just in front of him. Knowing she couldn’t do any harm to him, he grabbed her, holding her close and tight in a hug.

“Isa oketaka.” He whispered, petting the back of her head. She had always enjoyed being petted. It made her feel like she had done something good, it was very relaxing to her.

“S-stitch?” She finally said, coming to her senses.

“It’s meega. And Finder’s here too.” At his name, their cousin honked from where he stood, making Monochrome giggle.

Feeling that she had calmed down, Stitch let Monochrome go, leading her back into the path.

“Gaba yuuga doing here?” She asked, still not liking being in the forest.

“We came looking for you. Isa long story.” Despite him being taller than her now, Monochrome still noticed that Stitch wasn’t really looking at her, more past or through her. It dawned on her what she had done and instantly began to apologize.

“Meega soka.” She said with a slight sadness to her voice. “Meega hit yuuga didn’t meega?”

“Meega fine.”

“Naga. Meega gotta fix it.” Lifting up her ear, she light brushed the tip across Stitch’s eyes. With another blinding light, the colour returned to Stitch’s vision. He blinked a few times to readjust, seeing a large ear right in front of his face. Monochrome let her ear fall back down beside her and smiled up at her cousin.

“Can yuuga tell us what happened?”

Monochrome tried to think back. No matter how hard she tried she couldn’t remember what had made her run to the forest. “Soka, naga nota. Meega naga remember anything past last night. Last meega remember was meega thinking about boojiboo. Naga more, meega can’t remember things from my panic attacks.”

“It’s okay.” Stitch told her, not wanting her to worry more. “Meega forgot.” He looked between his two cousins, deciding it would be a good idea to get them back to the one true place they belonged. As soon as they were out of the forest, Monochrome instantly started to feel better. She was eager to get back to the medical clinic, and Finder wanted to get back to his Found booth.

 

 

 

 


End file.
